The Hero Reborn
by boreas1435
Summary: When darkness threatens the world of Hyrule once more, a hero shall rise. Once again, power, wisdom and courage shall clash, fighting for the future of the kingdom. It is a story that has been repeated countless times over the ages. But this time, things are a little different…
1. Chapter 1: A New Beginning

Hi everyone! Just a brief A/N before we get started. First things first, this is my first ever fanfic, so please bear that in mind when you read it! I know it's not brilliant, but comments and reviews are always appreciated, stuff you liked and constructive criticism. But no flames please! Second things second, this story has kind of a weird setting. It takes place in Hyrule many centuries after Skyward Sword, but before the next game in the series. Some things are the same, a lot of things are different, so if that bothers you this fic may not be for you. Also a note on characters: I have a _lot_ of OCs in here. And I mean a lot. The main characters are canon Zelda characters, but basically everyone else is an OC. But my OCs are all based on other Zelda characters, so as you read you can have fun guessing who they're based off. It's not hard to tell. But if loads of OCs aren't your thing, you probably won't like this fic. Right, thank you for reading this far through my random mutterings, and on with the story! Oh wait:

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I don't own the Legend of Zelda, that belongs to Miyamoto and the good folks at Nintendo. The only thing that's mine are my OCs, and arguably not even them. They're probably from somewhere else and I subconsciously stole them. I don't think I did. But you never know. So yeah, to summarise, I don't own this stuff. Read on and enjoy. Bye.

-o-

All Link could see was darkness. Everything around him was deep black, swallowing up light and sound. But suddenly, a flash of gold erupted in front of his eyes, taking on the shape of a beautiful woman with golden hair. Her azure blue eyes widened as they saw Link, then her face softened into a smile.

'There you are, sleepyhead!' she said with a laugh.

Link frowned, confused by this tone of familiarity coming from a girl he had never seen before. But as he took in her blonde hair, pink dress, and the strange cloth round her shoulders, he felt as though there was something familiar about her, he had seen her somewhere… he just couldn't remember where.

'…Link? Link?' the girl was saying, watching him with a smile. How did she know his name?

'Link?' But the voice was different this time, much deeper, and as he frowned, a loud crashing noise ripped through his dark world.

'Link!' Another crash, and suddenly the girl vanished, along with the darkness, and pale light filtered through Link's half-closed eyelids. He opened his eyes fully, and saw no darkness, just the familiar surroundings of his house.

'Link!' The voice was louder this time, and it was a man's voice. Link turned, and a small rock flew through his open window and hit him squarely on the forehead. As he rubbed his sore skull, he saw other stones lying on the floor, no doubt the source of the crashes. He stumbled over to his window and looked out. A tall, heavy-set man of around twenty looked up at him, a smile on his face and a pile of stones in his hand.

'I thought you'd never wake up! But you can't sleep in today, so get dressed and come down here.' Link, still groggy from the combined effects of his rude awakening and his mild concussion from the stone, quickly pulled on some clothes and went out the door, agilely jumping from the tree his house sat in to the ground.

'I really wish you could find a better way of waking me, Faru,' Link grumbled as he walked over to the man. 'I mean I know it's crazy, but you could actually come up and wake me in person, rather than taking pot shots at me through my window.'

'Yeah,' Faru replied, 'but taking pot shots is so much more fun.' Link kept grumbling under his breath as the two of them walked towards the Elder's house, perched in the tallest and oldest tree in the village. Faru was Link's best friend, despite being a few years older. The two had been inseparable for as long as anyone could remember. Link just sometimes wished that Faru wasn't so… direct about things, like waking him. He looked up as Faru suddenly veered off their course towards one of the many tree stumps that littered their home of Fallhollow Village. A long thin object was lying on it, which Faru picked up.

'Do you know what this is?' he asked. Link stared at him.

'Are you seriously asking me if I know what a sword is.'

Faru grinned, then replied, 'I am asking you that because I'm waiting to see how long it's going to take you to remember what day it is today.' Link stared stupidly at him.

'Uh, Wednesday?' Faru sighed.

'No, idiot, it's the day of the Ceremony! You know, the day once a year where a boy who comes of age that year is presented with his own sword and officially becomes a man? Hello? Ringing any bells?' Link continued to stare for a moment while his brain processed this. Of course, he had had his seventeenth birthday several months ago, but birthdays in general were not generally celebrated in Fallhollow. The only one that mattered was seventeen, when a boy became a man.

Link hit his forehead with the heel of his hand, cursing his stupidity. Today was the day he had been waiting for as long as he could remember, the day he got a sword! Faru, watching this, was amused.

'Ah, I see that pile of sludge you call a brain has finally kicked into gear. So you get what you have to do, right? I've hidden the sword somewhere in the forest, and all you have to do is find it and bring it back before sundown. Shouldn't be too hard, even for you.' Link scowled at his friend. Faru, being three years older than Link, had gotten his sword three years ago, and apparently had forgotten how long it had taken him to find the sword, only just making it back before sunset.

'So listen,' Faru continued, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. 'I know technically you're supposed to find the sword yourself, but because I hid it and I happen to be your best friend in the entire world, I might just be able to tell you where I hid it.'

Link was surprised: this was against the rules, but if it got him his sword sooner, he was all ears. 'You know the big tree to the east of here?' Link nodded; the tree in question was big enough to be seen clearly from any part of Faron Woods. 'Well, let's just say if you hunt around there you might be pleasantly surprised.' Link leapt up, eager to go, but his curiosity got the better of him.

'Why did you tell me, Faru? You know you'll be in trouble if anyone finds out.' Faru smiled.

'Anything for my best bud!' he said, slapping Link hard on the back. 'Also Quin…' he mumbled something too quietly for Link to catch, but he did hear a name.

'Quin? What's she got to do with anything?'

'I might have told her where the sword was too,' Faru muttered. Link's heart sank. Quin. She was his eternal rival, always determined to best him at everything. To make matters worse, although she was a few months younger than Link, she came of age the same year as him, so (as tradition stated only one person could claim the sword per year) they would be competing. Not a prospect Link relished. Strictly speaking, Quin was a girl and the traditions stated that only boys could wield a sword, but Quin felt that her gender should not bar her from anything, and she made sure others felt this way too. When the question of a Ceremony for Link had come up a few months before his seventeenth birthday, Quin had dealt with the problem of being excluded the way she dealt with all problems: she pretended it wasn't there and steamrollered right over it. She had assumed she had just as much right to the sword as Link did (which he had to admit, technically she did), so the idea of not competing had never entered her mind. Link sighed.

'So when did you tell her this? How much of a head-start does she have? Anyway, why would you tell her? Never mind, don't answer that last one.' Faru's crush on Quin was plain as day to everyone in the village including Quin herself, and she enjoyed manipulating Faru with it. Both Link and Quin knew perfectly well that Faru would tell her anything if he thought it would make her like him.

'Well, unlike some people, Quin actually got out of bed on time this morning, so she set off about an hour ago,' Faru continued, 'but you know she's got no sense of direction. You know the woods much better than her, so you might still be able to beat her to it. And remember, whatever she thinks, she has a right to compete with you for the sword, but if you get there first, it's yours.' With one final glare back at his unfortunate friend, Link set off into the deep forest surrounding the village.

Faru was right, Link knew the forest better than anyone, which was not surprising given the amount of time he spent exploring it. Yes, the tree where Faru had hidden the sword was clearly visible from the village, but under the thick cover of the dense trees, it was hard to see the sky, never mind landmarks. There was a trail leading from the village past the tree, and Link guessed Quin would follow that, not wanting to get lost. But that path wound and looped through Faron Woods, and it would take her at least twice as long as it would to go straight there, as Link intended to do. He plunged between the trees without fear, knowing exactly where to go.

As he ran through the woods, he suddenly thought he heard someone running behind him, but when he stopped and listened, he heard nothing, only the birds and the wind rustling the leaves. Deciding it was only his imagination, he ran off. From the shadow of a nearby tree two blue eyes watched him go.

-o-

After running for a short time longer, Link burst out into the large clearing which surrounded the Great Tree. He looked around, but could see no-one. Elated at having beaten his rival, Link started towards the tree when a whistle from above caught his attention. There, sitting casually on a branch halfway up the tree, was a girl with tanned skin, fire red hair and bright green eyes. Quin.

'You took your time, lazy! Thought you were never coming! Isn't this supposed to be a competition or something? Although, you against me is hardly what I'd call _competition_ ,' the girl said smugly. Link narrowed his eyes at her. Of course, how stupid of him to assume he could have beaten her here.

'Well I guess I'll have to go easy on you,' Quin said. 'Look up there!' Link did as he was told, and at the tip of the highest branch of the tree he spied a sword, thrust deep into the wood. 'Better get going!' Quin teased, pushing off the branch she was perched on, dislodging a smaller branch which promptly fell and hit Link on the head. With Quin's laughter ringing in his ears, Link grabbed a branch and started to climb. He may have been better at navigating the forest, but Quin was lighter and by far the better climber, and with her head start there was no way he'd beat her to the sword.

He was on the verge of climbing back down and preparing himself for Quin's victory gloat, when a screaming figure dropped past him. Alarmed, he peered down, but was relieved to see that Quin had managed to grab a branch to break her fall. As he watched, she dropped down and landed heavily. Link winced in sympathy, but she was already hobbling around, yelling at him to stop and give her a chance, so it looked like her slip had only given her a twisted ankle. He grinned and resumed his climbing with renewed energy, as Quin was now in no state to climb, never mind beat him.

After a short time, he reached the crown of the tree and was just pulling himself up on the branch with the sword when he stopped dead. At the end of the branch was a woman, her back to Link, left hand resting lightly on the hilt of the sword. She appeared not to notice Link. His first thought was that Quin had used some kind of sorcery to overtake him, but this woman was taller than his friend, with paler skin and golden blonde hair instead of Quin's distinctive red. Also Quin couldn't do magic to save her life.

Link's shocked gaze fell on the woman's left hand. The light glanced off it, making it difficult to see, but Link thought he could make out a strangely-shaped scar. As Link stared, the figure turned her head slightly, seeing him for the first time. The first thing Link noticed was her eyes, which were a startlingly clear blue. The second thing he took in was that she was younger than she appeared from behind, roughly the same age as Link. But he became aware that while he watched her she was watching him, and after regarding him for a few moments more she leapt from the tree. Link, panicked, scrambled up onto the branch and raced to the end, watching for any sign of the mysterious girl. But there was nothing.

-o-

Perplexed, Link turned away only to see the reason he was in the tree: the sword. _His_ sword. He grasped the hilt and pulled it free of the wood, holding it aloft with his left hand. In that instant he felt a strange power coursing down his arm. He turned his hand slightly to regard the mark on the back of it. Link's skin was normally slightly tanned, but there was an irregular patch of darker skin on his hand. When Link was younger the Elder had explained that it was a scar, from before the orphaned Link had been found as a baby. He had always had it, and it had never done anything before today, but gently touching it with his right hand Link felt that it was warm, more so than the rest of his body. He put it down to the sun, but still resolved to ask the Elder about it later.

He lowered his new sword and picked up the sheath that Faru had thoughtfully slung over the end of the branch, strapping the sword to his back. With that, he leapt from the tree much as he imagined the mystery girl must have done, jumping from branch to branch. Fallhollow was a village in the forest, literally, as all the houses were built in the trees. That, and the fact that Link had spent most of his life exploring the woods around the village, meant that he was just at home here in a tree as he was on the ground.

When his feet did eventually hit the ground though, the first thing he saw was Quin, arms crossed and scowling. He smiled, knowing how much this defeat would sting his rival, walked over and placed a comforting arm on her shoulder. He looked at her, condolences in his eyes, then his face broke into a smile as he said,

'You were right. Me and you, that really isn't competition.' Quin's scowl deepened, but Link knew she was already fighting a smile. Rivals they may have been, but they valued each other as friends as well. Link draped his arm across her shoulders, ensuring that her arm touched the hilt of his newly-acquired sword, and together they walked from the clearing. But Link still had something on his mind.

'Did you see where that girl went?' he asked. Quin frowned.

'What girl?' Link rolled his eyes.

'Don't be annoying Quin. The one at the top of the tree, the one with the blonde hair.' But Quin's genuine look of perplexity made Link doubt her. 'You really didn't see her?'

'No…' Quin replied slowly, 'But I'm not surprised you did.' Link turned to her.

'What do you mean?'

'Well,' Quin said with a smirk, 'You're seventeen, you're a guy, and you've never met a girl before. It's only natural you would start seeing beautiful girls everywhere you go.' Link glared at her.

'I do know girls! There's Lia, and Voxa. And anyway, I know you!' Quin laughed.

'Okay, Lia and Voxa don't count 'cause they're kids and you said yourself they're like little baby sisters. I'm not talking about girls here Link, I'm talking about _girls_. You know, the kind you might marry one day.'

'You still haven't addressed the fact that I'm talking to you, an attractive girl of my age,' Link pointed out. There was silence as they both absorbed what he had just said.

'…You think I'm attractive?' Quin asked tentatively.

'Well no, I mean yes, of course you are, but just because you're attractive doesn't mean I want to marry you.' Link garbled. There was silence again before Quin burst out laughing.

'Well good, because I most certainly do not want to marry you! Us, in a relationship? Bleugh!' Quin said, still laughing, not noticing Link's hurt expression. It was true, he really wasn't interested in Quin romantically, but she was still attractive and her utter revulsion at the thought of marrying him did sting a bit. But then his thoughts wandered back to the other girl, the one Quin claimed not to have seen. He hadn't imagined her, he was sure of it. But why would Quin not have seen her? The branch was clearly visible from the ground, so why? He dragged his thoughts back to the present as Quin continued.

'But how did you get Faru to tell you where the sword was? I know you didn't persuade him the same why I did.' Link was about to answer when this registered.

'I- wait, how did you persuade him?'

'I said I'd give him a kiss if he told me,' replied Quin with a laugh.

'And did you?' Link couldn't help but be intrigued by his manipulative rival.

'Of course not silly!' Quin replied. 'I'm saving myself for someone else.' This piqued Link's interest: if not Faru, then who was Quin interested in? Surely no-one else was brave or stupid enough to have feelings for the fiercest girl in Faron Woods? But Quin interrupted his musings again.

'Look Link, the village isn't far from here. You may have beaten me to the sword, but I bet I can beat you back to the village!' Without waiting for his reply she took off, her ankle seemingly forgotten in the adrenalin rush of their rivalry. Link laughed and raced after her.

-o-

Taking a shortcut through the trees, he burst into a clearing and stopped dead. In the middle was a bottle with the stopper in, and inside the bottle was a ball of green light, hitting angrily against the glass. It was making noises that almost sounded like words, but they were muffled inside the thick glass. Link quickly knelt down and pulled the stopper out, and the ball of light flew up around his head, faster than he could follow.

'Ooh, freedom!' she said excitedly, for from her voice she was undoubtedly a she. She settled down, hovering just above a nearby log, and without warning there was a blinding flash of green light. When Link regained his vision, he saw that where the ball had been before, there was a young girl of around seven sitting on the log. Her features looked normal, the only sign that she was in fact the former ball of light was the bright green glow that she gave off.

'Thank you!' she said breathlessly. 'That was horrible!' Link opened his mouth to speak but the girl continued. 'Those nasty kids chased me around for ages and then they put me in that bottle and I thought I'd never get out! I couldn't even transform like this or I would have been crushed! But now you helped me so it's all okay!' Link closed his mouth again, having no words for this strange child. But he had an inkling who the 'nasty kids' were, and resolved to have a word with the village children when he returned. Thinking of the village reminded him of Quin, and he stood to leave.

'Oh please don't go!' the girl begged, reaching for Link's hand. To his surprise, she touched it, and it felt like normal skin. 'I was so lonely, out here all alone.' She looked as though she might cry, so Link knelt back down with her. She brightened at once.

'I'm Tam by the way,' the girl continued as if nothing had happened. 'I'm a forest sprite! They're a special type of fairy that lives out in the furthest parts of the forest! But I think I'm the only one…' She looked despondent again, but then continued: 'And who are you? Link? That's a really strange name. But a good one. You look like a Link.' She paused, and her eyes fixed on a point over Link's left shoulder.

'You know, your friend can come talk to me too if she wants.' Link turned but saw no-one. 'Oh, she left. Maybe she was playing hide and seek? But she wasn't hiding very well, following you round all that time.' Link turned back and stared at Tam, who said, 'I was watching you earlier. There was a girl with red hair who ran past a long time ago, then you went by here, and then your friend with the pretty blonde hair followed you.'

Link was stunned. He suspected Tam meant the girl from the tree, but he didn't understand why she would be following him.

'You have lots of friends round here, don't you?' said Tam. Link was too absorbed in his thoughts to notice her wistful tone, but he woke from his reverie when she suddenly changed back into her sprite form and flew up, circling round his head.

'Well, I have to go. Important sprite things to do, you know.' And with that, she shot off between the trees, leaving a thoroughly confused Link gazing after her.

-o-

When Link finally reached the gates of Fallhollow Village (much later than he intended, thanks to Tam), he was greeted by a distinctly annoyed-looking Quin and a distinctly bashful-looking Faru.

'Well someone took their time,' said Quin angrily.

'Oh, Link, er, you, er, you got the sword!' Faru said, unable to show too much pride for his friend in front of the still-angry object of his affections. 'Well I guess we should probably do the Ceremony now.' As Link knew, the Ceremony was nothing spectacular, just the presentation of the sword to the new man by an older man. Faru handed Link the sword, with the impressive words: 'Um, well done, um. You, um, deserve, it… um.' With this feeble attempt at diplomacy, Quin huffed off, freeing Faru from his obligation.

'Well done Link! I'm proud of you bud,' he said along with a jovial slap on the back which nearly caused Link to impale himself on his new sword. But at that moment Quin returned, holding a wooden sword of her own.

'Well come on then, I'm not getting any younger here,' she announced, with her usual assumption that everyone else would understand what she was talking about, which they did not. After a few seconds of blank stares from Link and Faru, Quin sighed deeply, rolled her eyes, and continued in the tone of one talking to a very stupid person: 'Yooouuu neeeed tooooo teeeeeach uuuuus hooooow tooooo uuuuse aaaaa swooooord!'

When this got her nowhere she resorted to banging Faru on the head with her own sword and repeating. 'You need to teach us how to use a sword, dumbass! Tradition says after the new _man,_ ' (here her inflection conveyed just what she thought of the idea of Link as a man) 'receives his sword, his mentor must teach him how to use it. So get teaching.'

'But-' Faru faltered. Link knew he wanted to say: but you didn't get the sword, so you have to wait another year to get your own sword before I teach you, but Link knew as well as Faru just how Quin would react to this. In fact, she showed them.

'If you two _children_ think I am going to wait another whole year to get what I should have gotten today if it wasn't for this blasted ankle,' (here she kicked said ankle in the dirt, causing her to stagger and Faru to support her, but she shook him off roughly) 'As I was saying, if you two think I'm going to wait another year to learn this stuff, you've got another thing coming'. Faru looked at Link as if pleading for an easier, less painful alternative, such as being struck by a meteor, but realised that he would lose this battle. He always did, with Quin.

-o-

Two hours later, Link's bruises had bruises. As his sword was made of sharp metal, he didn't dare do more than wave it in Quin's general vicinity, in case he injured her. Quin however had no such reservations, and hit Link every chance she got. Her sword was made of wood, so it didn't actually cut Link, but it still hurt and secretly Link suspected she would have gone just as hard if she did have a sharp metal sword. Clearly she was still annoyed at him for earlier. He wondered vaguely if she would ever forgive him, and had just decided she probably wouldn't when a blow to his ribs cut off his thoughts.

'Make that definitely won't forgive me,' Link muttered as he doubled over, arms over his aching chest.

'What was that?' teased Quin. 'Do you give up yet?'

'Um, if I could, um, remind you, um, Qu-' Faru began but stopped abruptly when a wooden sword was pointed at his chest.

'Faru, if you say 'um' one more time I swear by all the goddesses I will skewer you,' Quin said, narrowing her eyes at him. Faru gulped, then tried again.

'If I could, uh-' (a warning look from Quin) 'If I could remind you that this is supposed to be sword training, not a fight to the death,' Faru managed. 'You're not even supposed to be fighting each other, you're supposed to use dummies.'

'Oh, don't worry about that, I think Link probably counts as a dummy. After all, he fights about as well as one. Actually, he's worse, because dummies don't manage to somehow injure themselves,' Quin sneered.

'It was one time…' Link muttered, but not too loudly in case Quin heard him. In any case, he couldn't exactly deny it; his bleeding palm ensured that. 'Faru, if it's okay, I think I'll leave you two to it. I had quite a rude awakening this morning, and I'm getting tired,' Link informed him. Although he would rather die than let Quin see it, Link was exhausted from the bruises, cuts, and lack of sleep. All he wanted to do now was bathe and rest, but he knew his over-active mind would never allow that.

He was still turning over the appearance of the mysterious girl in his mind, and meeting Tam had only made it worse. He knew he should forget it; after all, the girl was probably just some traveller in the forest who wondered what a sword was doing in a tree. But somehow he couldn't get her out of his mind. He kept thinking about her face, which seemed somehow so familiar, and the scar on her hand. He hadn't seen it properly, but he felt it was important. For some reason he kept looking down at the mark on his own hand, even though it looked nothing like the girl's scar. But he would deal with that in the morning.

As he sheathed his sword and headed for his house, a movement caught his eye. Up in the house in the tallest tree, he could just make out someone quickly moving away from the window. Link wondered what the Elder was doing, for who else could it be in the old man's house? Although it was never spoken about, everyone knew that the Elder was very old, and sick. Soon they would need a successor, but the thought of the Elder not being around was too unfamiliar for anyone to stomach. He was alive before everyone else in the village, he was already a fully grown man when they were children, and in their hearts everyone wanted to believe he would still be going strong when they died. Never mind the fact that no-one had seen him properly for years, as he spent his days lying in bed, too weak to move. Still, maybe he wasn't quite that ill, if he was well enough to spy on Link. The thought made him smile, and he was still grinning when his head touched his pillow and he fell fast asleep.

-o-

When Link woke up he felt as if he had been asleep for only a few minutes, but the warm light shining through his eyelids told him it was morning. However, when he opened his eyes he found that the light was coming not from the rising sun, but from a glowing orb hovering a few feet off the floor of Link's treehouse. At first he thought it was the sprite, Tam, come back to play, but he realised that while she had given off green light, this orb gave off yellow.

Rubbing his head wearily (for it was still night outside, so he knew he really hadn't gotten much sleep), Link got up to investigate the orb. But as he did so, it came alive and floated towards the door of his house. He immediately chased after it, causing it to move straight through the closed door as if it wasn't there. Link flung open the door and raced out onto one of the many wooden bridges that connected the treetop houses of the village.

As he did so, he caught sight of the sky, which was beginning to lighten; it must be close to dawn. Still, this was a good half a day earlier than Link usually got up, so he was stifling a yawn when he caught sight of the orb of light moving serenely off along the bridge, still floating in mid-air. Link chased it, causing it to move faster, until it went straight through the door of a house Link had never been in before: the Elder's house. Swallowing his nerves, and telling himself that if this was all a trick he could be out the door before the old man noticed him, Link slowly creaked open the door.

Inside the room was filled with the same golden light, and Link stared at the figure sitting in an old wooden chair, facing the door and watching Link with an amused expression on his ancient face.

'Shut the door child, you're letting a draught in!' the Elder said sternly, the golden orb hovering just above his palm. Link, too bemused to question, obeyed immediately, causing the Elder to chuckle. 'Good. Now come here. And for Farore's sake stop looking so scared. I won't bite; even if I wanted to, I lost my last tooth years ago.'

Link sat obediently in the chair opposite the Elder, and scrutinised the old man carefully. Close to Link could see how old he really was, his face a mass of wrinkles which rearranged themselves into a smile under Link's inspection.

'Now child, don't stare. Seeing as this is the middle of the night and I would like to get my beauty sleep, shall we get on with it?' Link nodded, eager to learn what 'it' was. But first he had a question of his own.

'That light… what is that?' The Elder turned to the ball of light in his hand as if he had forgotten all about it.

'Ah,' he said, 'this, my boy, is a little something called magic.' Link frowned; for someone supposedly so sick the Elder could be very annoying. But he was still intrigued, and it must have shown on his face as the Elder said, 'Surely you were aware that the Elder of this village can do magic? Ah, I see you were not. Yes, this magic is an ancient gift from the goddess Hylia herself. It has been passed down from Elder to Elder since the time of the great Link, Hero of the Skies and our first Elder, to whom Hylia originally gave the gift.' Link started at the mention of his namesake, but the Elder ignored him.

'And speaking of Link, I must ask you, do you know why I named you after him?' Link the younger just stared. He hadn't known that the Elder had named him; true, someone must have given him his name, but he hadn't known who. And why was the Elder bringing this up? But the old man continued to stare at him, expecting some kind of response, so Link guessed.

'Because being named after the legendary Hero brings luck?' he tried, as this was what the adults of the village had told him: as an orphan, alone in the world without anyone to take care of him, it was felt that baby Link had needed all the help he could get.

'Yes, it was partly that,' answered the Elder. 'That is what I told everyone. But there was also another reason. Link, give me your hand.' Link, unquestioning, placed his left hand in the Elder's. 'You know that you have had this mark on your hand since you were born, correct?' Link nodded, staring at the darker patch of skin. 'Well, that is not quite true. This mark is a result of the magic I cast on you when I found you alone in the forest. From that moment, I knew you were special. Not just because you seemed perfectly happy, all by yourself in a dangerous forest with no-one to protect you, but because of your mark. No, not this one. The one underneath, the one I cast the spell to cover.'

With that, the Elder began to mutter under his breath, passing his hands over Link's. He tried to pull away, wary of the magic, but the Elder had a surprisingly strong grip on him. Suddenly the mark on Link's hand pulsed with golden light, blinding Link who turned away. When it died down, he saw another mark on his hand, one which had been obscured for the last seventeen years. And, staring down at it, he knew exactly why the Elder had hidden it. On his hand was a circle with two crescent moon shapes encircling it. The whole mark glowed slightly green. Link was so absorbed in the symbol that he barely registered the Elder speaking.

'I see you understand why I hid this from all, even from you. If they had known that you bore the mark of Farore, Goddess of Courage, they would never have treated you as their equal, they would never have accepted you. And you Link. I wondered, many times, if I should reveal the mark, just to you. But always I decided against it. I do not know how you came by this symbol, or if it means that you are truly fated to be the bearer of the Triforce of Courage, but I do know this. You are a child chosen by destiny for some great deed. Perhaps I should have told you this before, but we have all heard the tales of the great Hero. And though he defeated a great evil and allowed this world to prosper as never before, he also suffered greatly on his journey. I cannot fight fate, and perhaps you will suffer as he did. But you are strong, Link, stronger than you know. You could not have borne the burden life has placed upon you as a young child. But now… yes, now I think you are ready. And that, my child, is why I named you after him. For you bear this great destiny as he did before you, and I hoped that by acknowledging the bond between you I could give you some of his strength. Some of his Courage. Because, my child, I have a feeling you are going to need it.' This change of tense caused Link to look up, a new steel behind his light blue eyes. The Elder, seeing this, felt proud of this child, this man, who bore the mark of the legendary Hero.

'Link, listen to me now. The reason I called you here at this hour is because I feel a great evil stirring. I have left this as long as I could, to allow you your childhood, but as of yesterday you are a man. Now you must prove it. Go, Link and find the others with these symbols. There are two, one with the mark of Nayru and one with the mark of Din, as the legends foretold. Together, you must fight this great evil, before it once again threatens the world as evil did before. For that is the curse laid upon the Hero by the great evil of his time. Whenever one bearing the likeness of the Hero appears, he shall be plagued by one bearing the likeness of evil. Go, my child. Leave now, tonight. Find the other Chosen Ones. And stop this evil while it still can be stopped.' Link nodded, his head spinning with the enormity of what he had just heard. He stood up and started to leave, when the Elder spoke behind him, so quietly he almost didn't hear him.

'Link. I may not live long enough to see you victorious, but I have done my part. I have informed you of your destiny, and I know you will fulfil it. May the Goddesses themselves walk with you and guide you on your quest.' Link nodded, acknowledging the prayer, and left. 'I wish you all the luck in the world, my boy,' the Elder whispered. 'I fear you will need it.' He lay back in his chair, the light in his hand slowly dying. The old man sighed, and his eyes drifted shut.


	2. Chapter 2: Strange and Familiar

A/N: Me again. Hope everyone liked chapter 1, chapter 2 is now ready to go, and here it is! Let me know what you think.

-o-

Link's head still buzzed with his new knowledge. The Hero. Farore. The Triforce. Evil. _Him_. For he fitted into all of this, at least according to the Elder. Personally Link felt that he fitted in just fine in Fallhollow Village, with Faru and Quin and the rest. And right now what he wanted more than anything else was to fit into his bed. But he knew he could never disappoint the Elder.

But where could he even start? Two bearers of the marks of the Goddesses and a great evil somewhere in the land of Hyrule, and he had never even left Faron Woods. How was he supposed to find them? He decided to go back to his house, in case one of them had decided to take up residence there. He fished under his bed until his fingertips brushed something soft. He pulled out the green tunic and held it up. The Elder had given it to him on his tenth birthday, on one of the few times he had seen the old man other than tonight, and told him that he would need it one day when he was old enough to wear it. Link supposed now was that time, as it would be easier to move and fight in than his normal village clothes.

He hurriedly pulled the tunic over his head, then headed out the door, returning a few seconds later. He examined his sword, laying where he had left it propped against the wall. He picked it up, and after a moment's hesitation strapped it on his back. He wasn't very good with it yet, having had only a few hours' practice, but even if there were no monsters in the woods he had heard stories about attacks in other parts of Hyrule. He hoped that maybe any monsters would be so scared by the sight of him wielding a sharp piece of metal they wouldn't realise he was just as likely to injure himself with it as them. Finally ready, he left his house, jumped to the ground and headed for the gates of the village. Just as he reached them, a figure stepped out of the shadows to his left. His hand reached instinctively for the hilt of his sword, stopping when he recognised the red hair even in the pale pre-dawn light.

'What are you doing out this early?' she whispered, clearly not wanting to be discovered. 'You're never up before noon! And why are you dressed like that? Where are you going?' Link stilled the barrage of questions with one of his own.

'What are you doing here? Spying on me again?' For a moment Quin looked hurt by the rough tone of his questions, but it was gone in an instant.

'I saw you coming out of the Elder's house! Link, what's going on? You're scaring me!' Link stopped, shocked. This was the first time he had ever heard his rival admit to any kind of weakness, and he realised she was genuinely worried.

'Look Quin, I don't have time to explain now. The Elder sent me out on… an errand. I need to leave now, but I promise I'll be back soon, okay?' Quin couldn't hide the relief on her face, but it was still mingled with concern. Link opened his mouth to say something else, but before he could say a word the breath was knocked out of him as Quin hugged him tightly.

'Just promise me you won't get killed, dumbass,' she whispered in his ear. 'Otherwise I'd have to start hating someone else.' With that she ran off back to her own house, leaving Link dumbfounded.

-o-

Link was still pondering Quin's strange actions as he wandered through the woods, the sun now high in the sky. What she had shown was almost like affection for Link, something he had never seen her show before for anyone. He was shaken out of his thoughts as the trail he was following split in two before him. He had decided that the best way to find the other Chosen Ones was to leave Faron Woods entirely and explore the rest of Hyrule. With any luck, the other two wouldn't be as good at hiding their identities as he was (as he had managed to hide even from himself), so hopefully he would find some clue as to where to search. He knew it was a vague hope and unlikely to work, but at that moment he felt so completely lost that surely any step, no matter which way, would be in the right direction.

Link hesitated, then took the path that led to the north, as this was the shortest way to the edge of the forest. As he did so, he heard a crack to his right. He turned, and two deep blue eyes stared back at him. Link gasped as he recognised the girl from the tree he had seen the day before. She looked shocked; clearly she hadn't expected him to see her. Suddenly she turned and fled through the woods.

It took Link several seconds to register what had just happened, but when he did he immediately set off after the retreating figure of the girl. He was fast, but so was she, and unlike Link she seemed to know where she was going. Several times he called out to her to wait, but she either didn't hear him or ignored him. Finally Link burst out into a small glade, and his eyes took a moment to adjust to the bright sunlight after the dappled shade of the dense forest. He looked around, taking in the single tree at the centre of the glade and a small waterfall leading to a pool at the back, but the girl had vanished.

Cursing inwardly at having failed to solve the mystery again, Link was about to leave when he heard someone land hard on the ground behind him. He turned but was immediately met by a sharp sword pressed against his throat. The girl stood in front of him, azure eyes narrowed.

'Who are you? Why are you following me?' she asked. Link just stared, open mouthed, but finally managed to speak.

'I was going to ask you the same thing! First at the tree yesterday, then watching me with Tam, then just now! Why are _you_ following _me_?' The girl just scowled more deeply, then lowered her sword and turned away. Link realised that she was going to leave yet again, so he quickly drew his own sword.

'Please tell me you didn't just do that,' the girl said quietly, her back still turned. Link swallowed hard. He hadn't thought this through, hoping that the idea of being faced with a sword would be enough to stop the girl. But as he took in her rough clothes, easy to fight in, the well-worn sheath on her back and the practiced grip she had on the sword still in her hand, he realised that this girl was very likely a much more experienced fighter than he was. At the very least, she didn't look like the kind of person who would be scared by a mere sword. She sighed.

'I really don't want to fight you, kid. I saw you and your friends yesterday. No offense, but you are the worst swordsman I've ever seen, and that's saying something.' Link's apprehension turned to anger at this, and he held his sword with more authority. For the second time in two days, he felt a strange power in his arm, and as he looked down he saw the mark on his hand glowing faintly. The girl sighed again, then swung round and met his sword with her own.

'So be it. If you want to get yourself killed that badly, I'd be happy to oblige.' Without warning she swung her sword, aiming a blow directly at Link's head. He blocked it, but was unprepared for her second attack, which left him with a shallow cut across his ribs. He lunged, aiming to slash the girl's thigh, but was parried and her counter-attack cut a searing line across Link's shoulder. As he desperately blocked more furious attacks, Link wished fervently that he had listened to his instincts: the girl was a far better fighter than him, and he was being beaten easily.

Suddenly the tip of the girl's sword was behind the hilt of Link's own, and with a flick of her wrist she disarmed him, tossing his sword to the other side of the clearing. Before he could react, her foot swept his legs out from under him and as he tried to get up he felt her sword once again pressed against his neck. He stared up at her. He knew he was beaten, but surely she wouldn't kill him? But her cold eyes made him doubtful. Suddenly the sword was pulled away and her hand replaced it. Link kept staring, now truly confused, and as he looked he saw what he had originally thought was a scar on the girl's hand was a bluish mark, made up of three circles each with a crescent moon, a symbol he recognised as that of Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom.

Despite his shock he eventually recovered enough to grasp her hand with his own, and the girl pulled him up. As she did so however, Link's mark of Farore glowed brightly, making him gasp. The girl appeared not to notice this, as she turned away and sheathed her sword. Link, still absorbed in his hand, looked up at her in surprise. He was still confused as to why she hadn't killed him, and now she was putting away her own weapon? Clearly she felt he wasn't going to put up a fight, and he agreed with her. The many wounds she had inflicted were nothing more than cuts, but they still stung and he wasn't in a hurry to acquire any more. She laughed at the expression on his face.

'You look surprised, kid. Don't be. I admire fighting skill, and you were pretty good.' She smirked. 'Well, for a guy.' Link narrowed his eyes at this. The mystery girl was starting to remind him a lot of Quin. He went to retrieve his sword when he noticed the girl preparing to leave.

'Wait, who are you? You still haven't said why you were following me!' The girl sighed, but stopped.

'Look, kid- What's your name? Link?' The girl paused for a minute, almost as if she recognised the name. 'Well alright. Look Link, you don't need to worry about me. I followed you because I thought I knew you, but seeing you now I realise I was mistaken. Anyway, it looks like you're leaving these woods, and I've got no reason to follow, so I guess this is the last you'll see of me.'

Something in her tone made Link blurt out, 'Come with me!' The girl stared at him in shock, mirrored on Link's own face. He had no idea why he'd said that, and he was sure the girl would laugh at him again, but she just stared.

'…What did you say?'

Spurred on by her confusion, Link replied, 'Come with me. I've got this great quest thing I need to do and I have no idea how to do it and you've got that weird mark thing like I do and I was supposed to find you and I could really use your help!' He paused for breath and the girl was still staring.

'What mark?' she asked suspiciously. Link was relieved that she hadn't immediately bolted, so he held up his own hand.

'This one, the Mark of Farore. You've got the Mark of Nayru. I need to find someone with the Mark of Din so that together we can defeat some great evil that's apparently been threatening Hyrule.'

'You know about that?' the girl asked quietly. 'About that evil being?'

'No,' replied Link, 'which is why I need you to come with me. I don't know what I'm doing. I've never heard anything about evil other than occasional monster sightings, and if you do know about this then I'm going to need you.' He was still calming down from his earlier outburst, and the change in the girl's manner alarmed him. But equally mystifying was her mention of an 'evil being'. Link suspected that the girl knew a lot more than she was telling him, but he also knew that he needed her knowledge if he was going to make any progress. Mixed with this was his elation at already having found one of the two people the Elder told him to find. But while he was running this though in his mind, the girl was still silent. Then she shook her head slowly.

'I… I can't help you. I'm sorry. But I can't go through that again.' Without another word she ran off between the trees.

-o-

This time Link didn't hesitate to run after her, unwilling to lose her again. But to his surprise after a short time the girl slowed, and as Link approached he saw the signs of a rudimentary camp, with a pack, food and the remains of a fire. He decided that this was probably the closest thing the girl had to a home. As he got nearer to her she turned and was about to speak, most likely to tell him to leave her alone, when Link spoke first.

'What happened? What can't you go through again? Why won't you help me?'

The girl now had some of her old fire in her eyes as she replied, 'Remember when I told you earlier not to worry about me? You'd do well to take that advice.' Link was about to retort, but thought better of it. Evidently whatever had happened was not something she wanted to talk about, especially to a stranger. But Link did need her help, so he continued.

'Look, I know you're immediately going to say no to this, but please just hear me out. My village is near here. Actually you probably already know that, but anyway. There's an old man there, the Elder, who told me about all of this. Could you just come with me to see him? After that I promise I'll leave you alone. You'll never see me again if you don't want to.' The girl appeared to be considering this when a horn sounded between the trees. Immediately she drew her sword.

'Bokoblins. Can you fight? Because if you can't, or you won't, then stay out of my way.' Link replied by drawing his own sword. 'Good. But seriously, I'm not going to babysit you. These monsters aren't too strong, but they can still kick your ass if you don't watch what you're doing. Just try to stay alive, okay? We'll talk afterwards.' Link had no time to reply for at that moment four red monsters burst through the trees, each brandishing a short sword.

The girl immediately swung into action, slashing at the nearest two. Link followed her lead and leapt at one of the others, who blocked, throwing Link off balance. Its friend slashed at Link, but he rolled out of the way just in time, then stabbed upwards with his own blade and managed to injure one of the Bokoblins. It retreated, yelling in gibberish to its friend, giving Link time to check on his companion. She had already taken down one of the monsters, and as he watched she executed a spin attack, knocking the other one to the ground. Before it could get up she leapt up into the air and landed with her sword down, straight through the Bokoblin's heart.

Link suddenly realised how grateful he was that the girl was on his side. He also realised that the girl had been going easy on him when they fought before. Very easy. He turned at the sound of a cry and blocked a wild attack from the uninjured Bokoblin, before slicing across its chest and stabbing it through the leg, causing it to fall. Link hesitated, unwilling to kill his handicapped opponent, but at that moment the choice was made for him as he felt a sharp blade slice down his back. He grunted in pain, then turned and cleanly ran the final Bokoblin through with his sword.

He heard another animal yell from behind him, and out of the corner of his eye saw the formerly fallen Bokoblin lunging at him with its sword. Link had no time to raise his sword and was bracing himself for the skull-cracking impact when the monster's chest suddenly sprouted a sword. The thing stopped, looking down stupidly, before the sword was withdrawn and the Bokoblin fell to the ground dead, revealing the girl behind it holding her bloodied sword.

For a few moments the two Hylians stared at each other and the carnage in the formerly peaceful clearing, too out of breath to do anything else. Then as the adrenaline left him Link's back screamed in pain, causing him to cry out. The girl's eyes widened, then she ran to the other side of the clearing. As Link's vision became blurred from the pain he felt betrayed, that the girl was running off to leave him to die, but as he collapsed to the ground she ran back, holding something red in her hand.

'Drink this! Quickly!' she said, and with the last of his strength Link obeyed. The liquid tasted familiar, and he recognised it as healing red potion. Thank the Goddesses the girl had had some with her.

As the pain in his back faded and his vision returned to normal, Link managed to gasp out the words, 'Thank you.'

'Don't mention it.' The girl replied. She looked at him critically and a sly grin crossed her face. 'You were right. You really can't take care of yourself, can you? Okay, I guess I could come see this Elder person with you. I mean, if I don't you're just going to get yourself killed, aren't you?' Despite her insults Link was relieved by her words. Finally, he was getting somewhere. He only hoped the Elder would be less cryptic than last time. The girl helped him up, gathered her few belongings, which comprised of her pack with her sword, blanket and an old book, and came over to Link. 'We'd better get back to that village of yours.' With that, she set off, leaving Link still standing there. She looked over her shoulder and called back, 'By the way, my name's Zelda.'


	3. Chapter 3: Beyond the Woods

A/N: a longer update this time, as thanks to all those lovely people who read (and hopefully enjoyed) this! You make me smile. Special thanks to Isetba who added this story as a favourite. Go read their stories (after you read this one, obviously). Also hoping you like what I've done with Zelda. Personally it always annoys me when Zelda is a perfect little princess who can't take care of herself, so I made her a bit more... useful. Right, on with the story!

-o-

As Link and Zelda trudged back to Fallhollow Village, Link realised how late it was, the setting sun already turning the sky a burning orange colour, as if the horizon was on fire. Zelda was leading the way as she claimed to know a shortcut through the forest. Link didn't know if this was true or not, but certainly he didn't recognise the part of the woods they were in now. He said as much, and Zelda replied,

'I'm not surprised. I don't see Hylians much round here. But I know it because I used to live near hear until-' She stopped talking suddenly, but Link knew enough by now to know not to ask. Zelda looked around, and suddenly pulled Link by the arm up a steep bank to the left. He pulled back slightly, confused, but Zelda reassured him.

'This way'll be quicker, trust me!' Link wasn't entirely sure he did trust her, but her strong grip on his arm meant he couldn't argue. When they reached the top of the bank Link kept moving under his own momentum, nearly plunging over a high cliff into the valley below. Fortunately Zelda grabbed the back of his tunic and pulled him to safety. She didn't give him time to rest however, and set off across a wooden bridge that reminded Link very much of the bridges back at the village, except that this one looked infinitely more rickety. She gestured for him to follow, which he hesitantly did, unsure if the old bridge could take their combined weight.

'Notice anything weird, Link?' she asked. Link looked around, and saw that the trees around them all had orange or red leaves, if any at all; their general dead look was a harsh contrast to the fresh green trees in most other parts of Faron Woods. A thick carpet of the coloured leaves covered the forest floor. Zelda saw Link looking at this this, and pointed down the valley below them to what appeared to be a massive pile of rotten wood.

'It comes from in there,' she said.

'What does? From where?' Link asked. But as he stared at the pile he saw that it actually made up a building, hidden in the leaves.

'That's the source of all this. Somehow some kind of curse comes from that place, and it poisons the land around it.' She looked around, and Link sensed she was far away. 'I used to come here all the time when I was a little girl. That building wasn't there back then, or at least I never saw it. You know, this used to be the greenest, prettiest part of the woods. The valley below us was actually a river, and where the House is now there used to be a beautiful waterfall.'

'The House?' Link asked.

'That place, where the curse comes from. It's called the House of the Fallen. You know, for ages I used to think that "the Fallen" referred to all the fallen leaves. But after a while I started seeing other… fallen things around here. That's why I stopped coming.' Link looked at her, alarmed. Her vague mention of "fallen things" had worried him. 'Oh, don't be so scared Link!' she teased. 'You're supposed to bear the mark of the Goddess of Courage! If I were her, I'd be ashamed of her choice of hero.' Link scowled, but one word interested him.

'Hero?' Zelda laughed. 'Okay, that wasn't exactly the right word to use. Chosen one, perhaps.'

'Chosen for what?'

'To bear the Triforce of Courage,' Zelda said nonchalantly.

'Wait, what?' Link asked, trying to keep up mentally and physically.

'Of course! According to legend, in the time of the Hero of the Skies each of the three Golden Goddesses chose one person who embodied their quality best.'

'So that means that somehow I'll be given a piece of the Triforce?' Link asked, unable to believe his ears. But Zelda just laughed.

'Not likely. The Triforce isn't the kind of thing you just get given. If you do ever bear it, you'll have to earn it. And that's a big if. Just because you have the mark, it doesn't mean you're necessarily going to get the Triforce. It just means that you _could_ get it. The situation would have to be pretty dire for the golden power of the gods to get involved.' Link sighed, disappointed.

'How do you know all this?' he asked. Without stopping or turning Zelda raised her left hand so the mark on the back was exposed to Link.

'Mark of Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom, remember?' Link sighed again, and finally reached the other side of the bridge. He hoped that eventually he'd start to understand his strange and seemingly omniscient new companion.

-o-

After about another hour of trekking through the forest (which mercifully seemed to be free of the curse Zelda had mentioned) they reached a part of the woods Link recognised, as he had run through it only the day before during his race to the tree. It seemed strange to Link that only a day had passed since the Ceremony; so much had changed since then. As they were walking through the glade where Link had first seen Tam, the forest sprite, Link thought he again heard her high-pitched voice, but shrugged it off as memory. But he heard it again, and stopped to listen. By this point he realised he had lost Zelda, but suddenly a green light came zipping through the trees.

'Link! Link Link Link Link Link! It's you!' the little sprite yelled happily. Link couldn't help but laugh at her excitement, and as she transformed back into her childlike form he knelt down and rubbed her head affectionately.

'Hello again Tam. I thought you had "important sprite stuff" to do?'

'Yes but I've done it now and anyway I saw you and your friend again! Can I meet her? What's her name?'

Again Link laughed and replied, 'Slow down Tam, one question at a time! Her name's Zelda, and of course you can meet her.' With an exclamation of joy she changed back to her light form and flew up, landing on Link's head.

'Lead the way!' Link set off in the direction Zelda must have taken to reach the village, accompanied by Tam's commentary.

'You know, the sky was really orange and pretty earlier, but now it just looks dark, like the sky is filled with blackness.' Link agreed, but tilting his head back to look at the sky caused Tam to slide off his head, and she flew into his face angrily.

'Hey, watch it!' As they reached the track again at the point just round the corner from the village, Link saw Zelda coming back the other way.

'Zelda! There's someone I want you to meet. Her name's Tam, and she's a forest sprite. And also crazily excitable, but that's beside the point.' At the mention of her name Tam started orbiting Zelda's head at high speed, but stopped when the girl didn't react. Link noticed that Zelda seemed very distracted.

'That's great Link… um, your village is just over there, isn't it?' Link nodded, even though he knew that Zelda knew perfectly well where his village was, as she had watched him sparring with Quin there the day before. The tone of her voice was starting to worry him. 'Um… I think you should see this, Link.' She gently took him by the arm and lead him round the bend in the trail so that he had a clear view of the village. Or rather where the village had been. Instead of the verdant trees and sturdy houses, with the happy laughter of children amongst it, there was silence. The trees were blackened stumps, the houses were gone, and ash covered the grass. There was no-one in sight. Link stood in shock, unwilling to accept what his eyes and ears were telling him.

Fallhollow Village had been burnt to the ground.

-o-

A few hours had passed. Link sat the way he had been since he first saw the destruction, legs pulled up close to his chest, arms folded over his knees. He had sat like this when he was a child, afraid of thunderstorms or the dark. It had brought him comfort then, but not now. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Zelda come out of the Elder's house. It had been severely damaged by the fire but in the tallest tree it was out of reach of the worst of the flames, so it was still partially standing, unlike the other houses. Zelda caught sight of him and came over. Tam was with her; she had tried to comfort Link, but in the end gave up and went with the older girl.

'Link…?' Zelda's voice was hesitant. 'Look, I know you probably don't want to hear this but… it's getting late. We should… probably not spend the night here.' Link said nothing, but turned his face away from her. The last time he had left the village, he had come back to find this. He didn't want to leave again, though he failed to see how things could get worse. Zelda, undeterred, sat down beside Link, so close that their shoulders touched.

'Link… It's not as bad as you think- no, let me finish,' she said quickly as Link prepared a retort. 'I've looked everywhere, but I couldn't see any bodies.' Tam started to say something, but Zelda silenced her with a barely noticeable shake of her head. 'There's no marks, no nothing. I think all your friends must have been warned somehow, they got out before. I think they're probably all okay, Link.' He ignored her, automatically assuming the worst. How could anyone have survived this? Faru, Quin… all gone.

Tam piped up, 'But what about that old man?' Link looked up immediately. The only person she could be talking about was…

'Um, yeah,' Zelda said. 'We, we found an old man in that house in the tall tree. I guess… he was the Elder you told me about, wasn't he?' Link said nothing, but his mind was filled with the terrible knowledge of what must have happened. Even if everyone else had somehow escaped before, the Elder would have been too old to run. And anyway, he was too stubborn and loyal to his village to leave it.

Zelda, realising what Link was thinking, hurriedly said, 'But it's not that bad, Link. It was hard to tell, with the fire and everything, but I'm pretty sure he died a long time ago, probably last night. Not in the fire. I… I would guess he died sometime after he told you everything, so he died at peace. He looked peaceful…' Zelda tailed off, trying to smile at this small crumb of comfort, but she knew it would be bitter to Link. She understood, better than most, what it was like for him to lose everything and everyone he'd ever known. And she knew that he would need a long time to recover. Goddesses knew, it had taken her long enough.

'There's something else, Link' she continued, hoping to raise his spirits with her other discovery. Link just turned away and groaned, not wanting to hear any more bad news. But Zelda didn't give up that easily and waved a badly charred piece of fabric with a strange symbol on it in front of his face. Curious despite himself, Link grabbed it from her hand and examined the design. It was gold on red, a bird with wings outstretched and three golden triangles in place of a head.

'That's the insignia of the Royal Family of Hyrule,' Zelda informed him. Link handed the cloth back to her, uncaring. Why did it matter who it belonged to? The Royal Family wouldn't care about Link's grief. Anticipating his thoughts, Zelda got up and sat in front of Link, forcing him to look at her. 'I know you think I'm being stupid and insensitive but just listen for a minute, okay? Look, this thing isn't here by accident. I found it snagged on the branch of a tree. It must have torn off the clothes of one of the people who did this! And before you ask, I have no idea why the rulers of our kingdom would take it upon themselves to burn a village full of innocent people to the ground, but the point is _we know who did this_. And I know where Hyrule Town is, where the Princess lives! We can go there, and find these people, and find out what happened here!' She paused, and her tone softened. 'I know right now you just want to curl up in a ball and forget the rest of the world exists, but it won't help. Trust me, I know. What will help is doing something. So by coming with me to the town you'll feel better and you can avenge your village at the same time. Deal?' Link looked up at this.

'Wait, what do you mean going with you?' Zelda rolled her eyes, but secretly she was relieved that he had been listening to her.

'Look, if you want to wallow in your misery there's not a lot I can do about it, short of dragging you along by your hair, which I'm not going to do. But I don't know about you, but when I see this senseless destruction I feel sad, sure, but I also feel really, really angry. Someone did this, and I may not know who but I know where they live, so I'm going to find them and make them sorry for all of this!' Link was struck by the passion in her voice, and it roused him enough to slowly speak.

'Okay. If you're that set on going, I guess I could come with you and keep you out of trouble.' Zelda punched him on the arm for that, but she was relieved that her plan had worked.

'Alright then. Tonight, let's find someplace safe to rest, and tomorrow… well, let's just say I hope that Princess is a morning person, because I have a few things to say to her.' Link gave a small smile and slowly left the ruins of Fallhollow, but Zelda's smile fell from her face as soon as his back was turned. She hadn't been entirely truthful with Link. She had a terrible feeling she knew exactly why someone had destroyed his home, and she thought it was no coincidence that it happened the day Link was awakened as the bearer of Courage. She resolved to keep a very close eye on him in future.

-o-

Early the next morning Link was woken up by Tam dancing around on his face, landing on his nose, his mouth, his eyelids. He groaned and sat up, causing her to giggle and fly off. Despite her childlike appearance Link wasn't sure how old Tam really was as he had no experience with forest sprites. But he decided that she was not yet old enough to understand the concept of personal space. He stood up, aching from the battles of the previous day, both physical and mental. Looking around he realised that though Zelda's pack and blanket were where they had been the night before, the girl herself was gone. Link reached down to pick up his own blanket, revealing Tam underneath and setting off another bout of her infectious giggling.

'Aren't you going to look for your girlfriend?' Link paused at this, but blushed deeply when he realised that Tam meant Zelda.

'Zelda is not my girlfriend; she's a girl who is my friend. There's a difference!' Tam seemed to ignore this, although in her light form she had no facial expressions so it was difficult for Link to tell which direction she was facing, never mind her reactions.

'Well, if you want to see your girlfriend, sorry girl friend, she's through the trees over there, by the waterfall. Come on, I'll show you!' She changed into her Hylianlike form and grabbed Link's hand, towing him with surprising strength for someone so small. As he was dragged along Link wondered what Tam was still doing with him and Zelda. Her motives yesterday had been vague to say the least, and the question of her coming with them to Hyrule Town hadn't come up. Then again, Link reflected that Tam seemed to flutter around doing whatever seemed like a good idea at the time, and he hadn't the heart to tell her to stay in Faron Woods alone, so he appeared to be stuck with her.

By this point he could hear the loud sound of rushing water and as he burst through the trees he found himself in the same small clearing where he had fought Zelda the day before. Tam didn't stop however but dragged him on towards the waterfall on the far side. The swift-flowing water made it difficult to see but Link could make out a dark shape underneath. He caught sight of a pile of what looked like clothes and he realised that the figure washing in the water was in fact Zelda… without her clothes.

He gulped, imagining her reaction at been seen naked by him, and without pausing grabbed Tam and ran with her back into the trees before Zelda saw him… or he saw her for that matter. Quin had been right before when she said that Link had never properly met a girl. He had certainly never seen one naked, and he didn't want to see one now. At this point he realised that Tam had been consumed by a fit of giggles. He glared at her, realising that she had intended Link to see Zelda like that. Clearly their mutual embarrassment was a source of great humour to her. He took her hand firmly and led her back to the clearing where they had spent the night. Before too long Zelda returned, thankfully fully dressed, and greeted Link.

'I just washed,' she said.

'We know, we mmph,' Tam began, before Link clamped his hand firmly over her mouth.

Zelda looked alarmed, but Link said quickly, 'When we saw you were gone we guessed what you were doing. We also thought that you wouldn't want to be disturbed.' This last part was said with a stern look at Tam, who responded by changing back into her light form and perching high up in a tree above Link. Despite her lack of features she somehow managed to convey the impression that she was sticking her tongue out at him. Zelda looked from one to the other with a confused expression, but thought it better not to ask. She picked up her pack and sword, and the three of them set off.

-o-

By mid-afternoon the group had reached the edge of Faron Woods. Link tried not to let it show, but he was somewhat nervous at the thought of what lay beyond. Of course, he had heard about the great land of Hyrule and knew that Faron Woods was just a small part of it. He had even seen evidence of it for himself on the very infrequent occasions when a traveller came to Fallhollow Village, the only outpost of civilisation in the woods. Now there wasn't even that, Link though sadly. But until the previous day he had never even considered leaving the forest he had grown up in, and the thought of seeing the world outside for the first time was thrilling, but also nerve-wracking.

As Link and Zelda walked, Tam zipped between them, babbling about this and that. Neither of the other two were really listening, but her meaningless chatter was somehow comforting - until it stopped abruptly. Link and Zelda stopped and turned, only to see Tam bouncing in mid-air as if against an invisible wall. She changed into her child form and tried again, but something was preventing her from taking a single step towards her friends. Link went to her, and found that whatever the barrier was allowed him to pass through as if it wasn't there; in fact, Link hadn't noticed anything when he first passed through. But even with Link trying to pull her, Tam couldn't move. Zelda stood still watching the pair, when she finally spoke up.

'She can't leave.'

'You think?' asked Link sarcastically, out of breath from his efforts. Zelda brushed his remark aside and continued.

'Tam's a forest sprite. Emphasis on "forest". We're pretty near the edge of Faron Woods now, and I guess she can't leave the forest, so this is as far as she can come.' Tam and Link looked at her in bewilderment.

'I know I should be tired of asking this by now, but how do you know that?' Link asked. 'And don't you dare show me that stupid mark again.' Zelda gave him a reproachful look, as if she hadn't done exactly this before.

'Where I grew up… there were others, like her. I… I tried leaving the forest once.'

'Why?' Link asked, but Zelda spoke sharply.

'It doesn't matter why. The point is I did, but I stopped once I realised that none of my friends could go closer to the edge of the woods than Tam is now. I'm sorry, Tam. I suspected this would happen, but I hoped you were the exception, for your own sake.' Link looked back at the small girl, as she realised what Zelda was saying. The Hylians had to leave the woods in order to get to Hyrule Town, but Tam would have to stay behind, alone. She looked at Link with tears at the corners of her eyes, and he expected her to beg them to stay, not to leave her, but she surprised him.

'Bye, Link. I know this is important, you have to leave the forest and go on that great big quest you were talking about, but promise me that you'll come back sometimes, okay? I want to see you again.' He knelt down and putting her arms round his neck, she hugged him tightly. 'And please be okay. You too Zelda. I think… I think you guys are gonna need each other. There's something about the two of you that resonates, not just your marks, something else. I think that's important. And… don't get killed, Link.'

With these final words she ran off into the forest, but as she turned Link caught sight of the tears on her face. Her speech struck a chord with him, as it was the most mature thing she had ever said to him. With a jolt he realised that Quin had said almost the exact same thing to him before he left her. 'Just promise me you won't get killed, dumbass.' Quin… he wondered where she was. Perhaps he should have told her to be safe, too. He was pulled out of his reminiscing by a gentle cough from Zelda. Forcing his face into a smile, they continued out between the trees, until Link had his first ever view of the kingdom of Hyrule.

-o-

'It's… big,' was all he could manage. Zelda laughed at this.

'Those are some words that will surely go down in the history books. Yes, it's big, stupid. Anything else?'

'Nope,' said Link, too lost in the wonders before him to say anything more. He wasn't wrong. Hyrule was vast, bigger than anything the forest boy could have imagined. In the distance he saw mountains reaching up to the sky, spewing smoke; a golden glimmer on the horizon that the Elder had once explained to him meant a desert; and in the middle of plains in front of him, a sprawling grey and brown mass.

'That's Hyrule Town,' Zelda informed him, following his gaze. Link just stared. He had often been told that Hyrule Town, the capital of the kingdom, was the biggest town in the country and he believed it… he just didn't know that towns could be that big. Fallhollow Village, the only settlement Link had ever seen, was seven houses in seven trees, plus the Elder's house. But the town in front of him… Link didn't think numbers went high enough to describe the houses there.

'Come on,' said Zelda with a laugh. 'I know it doesn't look far, but distances can be deceptive. It'll take us days get there on foot. Luckily I know a guy. Or rather, a girl. Look over there.' She pointed to a small cottage nestled between two hills not far from where they stood. 'That house is home to a friend of mine, who looks after my horse when I don't need her.' They set off in the direction of the cottage, with a wide-eyed Link looking around them all the while. He knew they had to get to the town quickly, but the idea of spending a few days in this glorious land didn't seem so bad.

The sun was setting by the time they reached the house, but before Zelda could knock the door was flung open by a girl about Link's age.

'Zelda! You're here!' she yelled, hugging her friend. The two girls then swiftly caught up on what had happened since they had seen each other last. Link's first thought was that Zelda's friend looked like Quin, but he quickly corrected this. True, this girl had the same flame-red hair as Link's friend, but her skin was the colour of cream and her eyes were brilliant blue instead of green. Gossiping over, Zelda turned to Link.

'Link, this is my friend Mara. Mara, Link.' Link held out his hand to shake, but was almost knocked over when Mara hugged him with just as much enthusiasm as she had Zelda.

'Hi Link! It's so great so meet you!' As Link awkwardly hugged Mara back he caught sight of Zelda stifling a laugh over her friend's shoulder. Once Mara released Link Zelda cleared her throat, but Mara beat her to it.

'Now I know you two probably have loads of important stuff to do, but I'm also sure it can wait at least until the morning. And anyway, Rhiannon's already in her stall and I'm not going to wake her up just for you, Zelda.' With that the redhead turned and went inside the house, with Link and Zelda following.

'Rhiannon?' Link asked.

'My horse,' was Zelda's reply. Inside the small but comfortable-looking house was a table already laden with food and a man asleep in a chair at the end.

'Dad!' yelled Mara. The man woke up, looking around him in a disorientated manner. Mara walked over to him and introduced their guests. 'Dad, Zelda and her friend Link are going to stay the night, okay?'

'Of course, darling, whatever you suggest… what were you saying?' Mara huffed and went to set the table for two more. Link got the impression that Mara ran both her life and her father's, which didn't seem to bother the older man too much. Zelda was greeting the man and beckoned Link over.

'Link, this is Taro, Mara's dad.' After the formalities were exchanged, the four of them sat down to a delicious dinner – from the size of Taro's stomach Link guessed that he had had many such meals. It had been a long time since Link had properly sat down and eaten, and he appreciated their moment of rest. Link and Zelda both eagerly accepted the seconds offered by Mara, and while they were bolting down their food Mara asked,

'So Dad and I share a room anyway, but we only have one more. You two are okay sharing, right?'

'Absolutely,' Zelda answered before Link had a chance to speak. After the close call he had had by the waterfall only that morning, Link wasn't entirely comfortable sharing a room with Zelda. After all, he had only met her the day before. But he supposed the only other option was sleeping outside, and having done it the previous night he was in no hurry to do it again.

After their meal Zelda was reading the old book from her pack and Taro was back asleep, when Mara grabbed Link's arm and pulled him outside.

'Come on, there's something I want to show you,' was all the explanation he got. Behind the house was a large open space, fenced in with a small stable in the corner. Two horses, one dappled grey and one white, were calmly cropping the grass. Mara ran over to the grey one, still dragging Link.

'Macha, meet Link. Link, this is Macha, my best friend in the world.' Link hesitantly reached out his hand to the horse, who neighed softly.

'And who's his friend?' he asked, gesturing to the white horse.

' _Her_ friend is Rhiannon, Zelda's horse.' Link went over and stroked the white horse's flank gently. No-one in the forest ever travelled far enough to need a horse, so this was the first time Link had seen one.

'Can you ride?' asked Mara. Link shook his head. 'Well, you'll have to learn quickly. Zelda wants to leave at first light. I've never seen her so determined. She would have left already if I hadn't stopped her.'

Link, remembering Mara's excuse from earlier, asked, 'Wasn't Rhiannon supposed to be asleep in her stall?' Mara's laugh echoed softly in the moonlight.

'If I hadn't lied you two would be gone already! And we never get visitors out here…' Link stayed silent, sensing that she had more to say. 'I still remember when Zelda first turned up. It must have been five, six years ago. She was a complete mess, and it was the first time she'd ever left the forest. Still, I'd leave too if I'd been through what she had.' Link was intrigued, remembering Zelda's vague allusions to past suffering.

'What happened?' Mara looked up sharply.

'You mean she hasn't told you? Well I won't either then.' Link started to protest, but she silenced him with a look.

'I don't know exactly myself. But whatever it was, it affected her deeply. If she isn't ready to tell you herself, I'm not going to. It's not my secret to tell.' Link looked disappointed, and she sighed.

'Look, all I know is that sometimes she used to talk about her childhood in the forest, before she met me. She told me about all these, sprites I think she called them. She's an orphan, she's never hidden that, and these sprite things were her adopted family. But something happened, something dreadful that made her run away from the forest. She's never mentioned any of her friends in the present tense. I think whatever made her leave made her lose her friends as well. But Link, please, please don't tell her I told you. She trusts you, I think, more than she trusts people normally, especially if she's only known them a day. But whatever happened to her and her friends is her deepest, darkest secret, and if you brought it up she would retreat back into herself and stop trusting you. And believe me, you don't want that.' Mara sighed again, and Link guessed she had made the same mistake herself. 'So promise me you won't tell her.' Link nodded, and the two stood there in silence for a while, stroking the horses.

-o-

Soon Link became aware of another presence, behind him. He turned, and saw a beautiful bay mare with a silver mane and tail hovering at the edge of the fence. As he watched, she jumped and sailed gracefully over the fence and came trotting towards Mara, who laughed with delight.

'Who's that?' Link asked, as Mara had clearly seen the horse before.

'She hasn't got a name,' Mara replied. 'She's a wild horse, I've never been able to tame her, and it didn't seem right to put a Hylian name on such a free creature. But she does like it when I play her song.' Mara reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out a short pipe, like a flute. She played a simple song on it, which Link found to be strangely relaxing. The horse seemed to enjoy it too, as she came closer until she was a few metres away from the two Hylians. But she stayed there, and when Link hesitantly moved towards her, hand outstretched to pat her, she whinnied and galloped off, jumping back over the fence and out onto the plain. Mara stopped playing.

'That's as close as she ever comes. Like I said, she's a wild horse.' Her tone was sad, and Link felt guilty for scaring her friend away, but the moment quickly passed. Mara led Macha and Rhiannon back to their stable, and Link headed inside to bed. When he reached the room set aside for him and Zelda, he found her already asleep on one of the beds. Doing his best not to wake her, he quickly slipped off his boots and climbed into the other bed, falling asleep immediately.

A few minutes later, when the sound of Link's heavy breathing filled the room, Zelda turned over and sat up. She watched the sleeping boy for a while before sighing to herself and lying back down in her bed. 'Don't be an idiot, Zelda,' she whispered to herself before she too fell asleep.

-o-

A little while before dawn the next morning, Link was woken by the sound of hoofbeats. He sat up, confused, but the noise continued. He peered out the small window; the bedroom was at the back of the house, looking out onto the fenced-in area at the back. But Link saw nothing. He was about to return to his bed when a movement caught his eye. Out on the field, gambolling around like a young foal, was the wild horse Mara had shown him the night before. Link quickly checked the other bed, but Zelda was still sound asleep. He pulled on his boots and quietly slipped out the door, leaving the house just as stealthily.

Once outside he walked more normally, jogging out to the field. As he approached the horse he slowed, expecting her to run away again. Instead she stopped and regarded him with one large dark eye. He walked slowly towards her, hand outstretched as he had the night before, and to his great surprise she allowed him to pet her gently. She tossed her head, as if motioning to Link. He had no idea what she was trying to tell him, but he guessed anyway. He gently pulled himself up on her back, unsure what to do now. As he had told Mara, he had never ridden before in his life, but from the sound of it the mare had never been ridden, so they were equally inexperienced.

However, the horse didn't let this stop her as she suddenly took off, galloping around the paddock at high speed. Link nearly fell at first but managed to grab the horse's mane, and clung on to her neck tightly as she raced around. Finally he felt her slowing, enough for him to shift to a more secure position, but when he raised his head he saw what was directly in front of the horse.

'Oh no,' he said. 'Please tell me you're not going to jump the feeeeeeeeeence!' The last word of this turned into a yell as the horse accelerated under Link and galloped straight at the fence in question. Link stared, unable to tear his eyes away from the approaching fence which seemed to double in height as he watched. Suddenly he had a feeling of weightlessness as the horse jumped, but just as the night before she sailed smoothly over as if the barrier wasn't even there. Once over she slowed, properly this time, and tossed her head again as if to say, 'Oh ye of little faith.' Link laughed at this, and patted the side of the horse's neck. He decided that this experience probably counted as taming the horse, although it was more of a mutual agreement, and that his new steed needed a name. He wasn't sure what name to give a horse, but eventually one came into his head that sounded right.

'Epona. How's that for a name, girl?' The horse responded by rearing up on her hind legs and neighing loudly. 'Okay, seems as though you like that. Now Epona, why don't we try that little jump again?' Link had thought that a horse couldn't understand Hylian speech, but Epona seemed to know what her new master wanted without any prompting. She leapt the fence just as easily as before, and Link spent a happy few minutes galloping round on her, until a familiar voice called to him.

'Link! What are you doing? Is that the wild horse?' Link laughed and galloped over to Mara, whose eyes were wide with shock. 'Oh my Goddesses! It is her! Link, how did you-?'

'To be perfectly honest, I think she tamed me, not the other way around,' Link said with a grin. He jumped down from Epona, who gently nuzzled Mara. 'Her name's Epona, by the way.'

'Epona? That's a really pretty name!' Mara said. 'Well, if you're going to ride her, you should have this.' She handed him the flute she had been playing the day before. 'It's easy to play, and you can use it to call her.' Link gave it a blow, far too hard, and made a honking noise. But ignoring Mara's laughter and Epona's whinnying (which he took to be the horse equivalent of laughter), he tried again and could soon play a reasonable version of Epona's song. Mara grinned, then ran off and came back with a bridle and saddle.

'You can have these, too. At least now it looks like you and Zelda won't both have to ride Rhiannon.' Right on cue, Zelda emerged from the house, yawning sleepily. Link stared at her. Her hair was a mess and her clothes were clearly thrown on in a hurry, but in the pale light of dawn Link suddenly realised how beautiful she was. He had first seen it when he saw her in the tree on the day of the Ceremony, but he hadn't truly appreciated her beauty until today. Following Link's gaze, Mara giggled.

'Don't let Zelda see you looking at her like that, she'll bite your head off!' she joked. Link blushed and hurriedly turned back to Epona. He hadn't realised his attention was that obvious. Zelda walked over just as Mara brought Rhiannon out.

'Morning Link. Who's this?' Mara explained before Link had the chance.

'This is Epona, who I always thought was wild but apparently Link tamed her.'

'Taming wild horses, eh? Is there anything you can't do?' Zelda asked with a grin. Link grinned back but felt himself beginning to blush again, so he turned away.

'Mara, thank you so much for everything. We really appreciate it,' Zelda was saying behind Link. Zelda then mounted Rhiannon and Link got back on Epona, and with one final goodbye to Mara the two rode out onto Hyrule Field.

-o-

As Zelda had promised the journey to Hyrule Town was much easier now that they both had horses. Link revelled in the new experience of riding, and he felt as though Epona did too. She was an excellent jumper, clearing logs, streams and everything else with ease. As they rode Link took in Hyrule Field. Zelda had been right, distances were deceptive out here in the clear air, and although Faron Woods quickly faded to a green blur on the horizon it took a full day of riding before their destination came close enough to see in detail. Pausing to rest on a hill a little way from the town, Link looked in wonder at the sheer scale of the place. There must be hundreds of people living there.

'Four hundred and fifty, or thereabouts,' said Zelda, and Link realised he had been thinking aloud. 'But at least our target will be easy to find. She'll be in that castle.' Link stared up at the building Zelda referred to, and kept staring. Link had never seen a castle before, and as castles went this one was very impressive. It rose high above the houses below it, and it seemed as though the whole town was in its shadow.

'They say it has a hundred rooms, and two thousand staff. They say the Princess has a new dress made every day and the jewels she owns could buy a country,' Zelda said, and looking over at her Link saw the smirk on her face. 'I doubt any of that's true of course,' she said, 'but it does show you what the people think of their Princess.'

'Powerful?' Link guessed, earning him a hard look from Zelda. She snorted.

'Try prissy little rich kid who's never had to work a day in her life.' From her words Link wondered if Zelda was jealous of the Princess, but knew that the life of idle luxury would hold no attractions for the athletic, fiercely independent girl. Being cooped up in a castle, even one with a hundred rooms, and never being able to do anything for herself would be horrible for Zelda.

'Oh well, guess we'd better get a move on,' she said after a moment. With that, the two rode on into Hyrule Town.

-o-

A/N: hope you're all enjoying it so far! I've been making good progress with the writing and I've actually written a lot more than I've posted, but I'll try to update daily (or thereabouts), hopefully with a decent length chapter, so if you like this story be sure to check back every day or so in case I've added more!


	4. Chapter 4: An Evil Revealed

A/N: Alright, next chapter is ready to go! Hope you've all been having as much fun reading this as I've had writing it!

-o-

From the moment they walked through the gates, holding tightly to the horses' reins, Link stared all around him in wonder. As he looked up at yet another towering building, open-mouthed, Zelda muttered,

'I know you're new to all this, but could you try to look less like a tourist?' Link shut his mouth, but he couldn't stop staring. As much as this place amazed him, he was also fascinated by Zelda's apparently encyclopaedic knowledge of the town, as she knew exactly where she was going. Link would have asked how, but he knew Zelda would just shove her Mark of Nayru in his face again. Still, with her knowledge of seemingly everything, Link did wonder if the Goddess of Wisdom was helping her out. Surely no mortal could be that smart.

Finally they turned off the busy main road and onto a series of side streets, each getting progressively emptier and narrower. Link was just beginning to worry about the horses in such a confined space when the alley they were in opened up into a small courtyard. Zelda instructed Link to tie up the horses a corner of this space with a trough of hay in front of them, while she headed for the only door. As she opened it loud voices and bright light spilled out, causing Zelda to pause, but as Link joined her she went in. Link saw several men and women of all ages sitting at tables inside, but Zelda made straight for the counter where a large, friendly-looking woman was cleaning a glass.

'And what can I do for you two, dearie? Aren't you a bit young to be here?'

'We need a place to stay for the night,' Zelda replied. 'I'm a friend of Mylin, she told me to come here if I was ever in the town and…' Zelda faltered, but the woman replied,

'Don't you worry dearie. Mylin's my friend, she's not here right now but any friend of hers is a friend of mine. I'm Charenn, and there's a room upstairs with your name on it, if you want it. First on the left. The rent's on me. My treat.'

'Thank you,' said Zelda, and she led Link up the stairs in the corner, as he was too stunned by the atmosphere in the inn to react. But once they entered the promised room and shut the door, blocking out the noise from below, Link woke up from his trance.

'Zelda, what's going on? Where are we, who's Mylin?' Zelda leant against the door and regarded him with a wry smile.

'You spend a lot of your time confused, don't you Link dearie?' she replied, imitating Charenn's rough voice. When he glared at her, she explained, 'Mylin is a friend of mine. I met her once when I was staying with Mara. She runs this inn, clearly with Charenn as well, and she offered me a place to stay if I was ever in town. I never thought I'd take her up on that offer, but there you go. Things change.' Link then voiced something that had been bothering him when Zelda was talking to Charenn.

'Why were all those people staring at us? I swear one of the women winked at me.' Zelda flushed, but said,

'Look at it this way. If you were back home in your village and a boy and a girl you'd never seen before came and asked for somewhere private to stay, together, what would you think they were doing?'

'I'd think they were friends who were out on an adventure together,' Link replied promptly. Zelda stared at him. Clearly this was not the right answer.

'You really are clueless, aren't you Link? Okay, well, what you were supposed to say was: you'd think they were up to something, probably without their parents' knowledge or permission.'

'Like what?' Link asked, genuinely unaware of what Zelda was trying to say. Zelda gave up and flopped down on one of the beds of which, mercifully, there were two.

'I really do not want to have to be the one to explain this to you Link! Didn't any of the men in that village ever give you a talk?' Link opened his mouth to say no, they hadn't, when he recalled a certain very awkward conversation he had had about four years ago with Faru, after he had started noticing… changes in Quin. Suddenly he understood the stares and the wink.

'…Oh,' he said. Then, 'OH!', disgusted by the thought. At least Charenn seemed to have understood them, as she had given them a room with two beds. He lay back on the unoccupied one and turned to look at Zelda, who was in turn watching him.

'So, you get it now. Well, consider that your bedtime story. I'm going to sleep.' This was apparently all he was getting, so Link blew out the single candle in the room and tried to rest. But his mind was on fire with all he had seen and learnt today, and knowing what all the people downstairs thought he and Zelda were up to was not helping him to relax. But finally, he drifted off to uneasy sleep.

-o-

'…Link? Wake up sleepyhead!' Link opened his eyes and saw only darkness. But then, as before, the golden haired girl stood in front of him. 'There you are! What took so long?' she teased. Again, there seemed to be something familiar about her, even more so than the last time.

'Who are you?' he asked. The girl looked shocked.

'It's me, Zelda, remember?'

'Zelda?' Link gasped.

'Yes… why are you acting so weird, Link?' the girl asked. 'You're looking a bit strange. Are you okay?' Link was about to reassure her, but he wasn't so sure. Suddenly the darkness in front of him formed into a familiar face: his own. But it wasn't quite his. The young man in front of him was very similar, with the same sandy blonde hair and cerulean eyes, but he wore red earrings, while Link didn't. The strange boy wore the same green tunic as Link, but it looked far more worn, with rips and stains on it. The boy had a sword slung across his back like Link, but it was longer, with a dark blue hilt bearing the Triforce symbol, as opposed to the plain wooden hilt of Link's own sword. As Link and his almost-doppelganger stared at each other, the blonde girl spoke again.

'Link? Why are you staring like that? Link! Link!' Link's eyes flew open and he sat up in bed, breathing heavily. He looked over at the other bed and saw the dark figure still lying down. He thought Zelda was still asleep when she whispered,

'Bad dream?' Link nodded, but realised she couldn't see it in the dark so he said,

'Sort of.'

'Let me guess,' Zelda said. Link lay back, unconvinced of Zelda's psychic prowess. Bearer of Wisdom or not, he doubted she would be able to guess what had caused him to wake up. But yet again she surprised him.

'You were standing talking to a blonde girl in strange clothes, and you saw yourself except it wasn't you, it was someone who looked like you but different, yes?' Link propped himself up on one elbow in surprise.

'Yes, how did you… How?'

'I just woke up from a pretty similar dream myself, except I was the girl of course.'

'Have you had those dreams before?' Link asked, wondering how far the connection went.

'Only once, the night before I followed you and met you in the tree.' The mention of their first meeting prompted Link to ask him something he had been wondering about for a while.

'Why were you following me? I know you said you thought you recognised me, but I think we know each other well enough now to admit that was a lie.' He heard a rustling noise as Zelda turned towards him and regarded him thoughtfully. He was smarter than she had given him credit for. But only slightly.

'I did recognise you, but that day when we first talked I didn't know about your Mark of Farore, I thought I was wrong. I… I recognised you from my dream. At first I thought seeing a green-clad boy called Link in my sleep was just my subconscious being silly, but then as I was walking in the forest I saw you. You looked different to the boy from my dream, but somehow the same. I was intrigued, so I followed you and your friend. But when you climbed up to that sword, the thought of speaking to you… well, I panicked. I mean what would I have said? "Hi, I'm Zelda, I saw someone who doesn't actually look very much like you in a dream so I stalked you"? Not the best opening line.' Link laughed softly at this.

'Well, if it helps I had the same dream on the same night. What do you think it means?'

'How should I know?' Zelda huffed.

'Aren't you supposed to be blessed by Nayru or something?' Link teased. Zelda sighed.

'This is hard for me to admit, but I genuinely have no idea. Why would we dream about people with our names but who look slightly different? It doesn't make sense…' Link had never heard Zelda admit to not knowing something before, and it surprised him.

'Maybe we're reading too much into this. After all, it was just a dream-' he tried to console Zelda, but she cut him off.

'Link, you don't believe that and neither do I! These dreams are a sign from the Goddesses, I'm sure of it. I just don't know what it means!' With that she turned over and fell silent. Link did the same, as he realised just how much her ignorance annoyed Zelda. Smiling at this, he went back to sleep.

-o-

'Wake up sleepyhead!' Link sat bolt upright, expecting another dream, but all he saw was Zelda standing by his bed grinning at him. 'I thought that would get you out of bed!' As Link glared at her she continued, 'In a few hours the Princess will start seeing "the common people", so we need to get ready.' Once Link had hurriedly dressed he went downstairs and found the bar deserted except for Zelda and Charenn eating breakfast. As he joined them he realised that they were having an argument, not one he wanted to be roped into. But Charenn didn't give him the chance.

'Link dearie, how do you think Zelda looks?' Link almost choked. Why was she asking him that?

'Um… nice?' Zelda looked a lot more than nice to Link, but that was all he could say without blushing again. Clearly this wasn't enough though as it earned him a smug look from Charenn and a glare from Zelda, who retorted,

'I look fine! I'm going to see the Princess, not impersonate her!' But Charenn stuck to her guns.

'I'm sorry Zelda, but you can't go to the castle looking like you've trekked a thousand miles just to be here- and yes, I know you actually have, but you have got to look presentable.'

'What about Link?' Zelda cried, obviously clutching at straws. Link avoided eye contact with the two women. He wasn't sure what Charenn's idea of presentable was, but he was certain he didn't want any part of it.

'Link is a man, they don't have to look as nice. Besides, I don't have any male clothes, but I do have some dresses you could wear.' At this, Link and Zelda exchanged a glance. Being the same sex wasn't enough; Charenn was a good foot taller than Zelda, and was much… larger in general. But their look was seen by Charenn who said sternly,

'They're not mine, they belong to my niece who is staying here for a bit. I'm sure she won't mind if you borrowed one.' She then took Zelda firmly by the hand and pulled her upstairs. Link stayed downstairs for a while, finishing his food, but eventually decided that the women must be ready, so he followed them upstairs. He heard voices from one of the rooms with its door ajar, and cautiously went in. He was greeted by a beaming Charenn, who led him over to some screens in the corner. Pulling them aside she asked him,

'What do you think?' Zelda had her back to Link, but she turned at his approach. Link stared. He had thought Zelda was beautiful before, with messy hair and dirty clothes, but now he saw her "presentable", as Charenn put it, he realised how wrong he had been; now, Zelda was beautiful. She was still wearing her leather boots, but that was the only thing the same. She now wore a simple blue dress, with gold patterning at the neck and hem and a cloth belt resting loosely on her hips. Her long golden hair had been tied at the bottom with blue ribbons, leaving the top to hang free, and her bangs had been similarly tied on either side of her head. An intricately carved bracelet graced each of her delicate wrists. But most striking of all to Link was her resemblance to the girl in his dream. True, her dress was blue instead of pink, but other than the colours the two Zeldas looked identical.

'…Link?' He was called back to reality by Zelda's question. 'Link? Do I… do I look okay?'

'Okay doesn't even begin to cover it…' Link murmured, before he was hit sharply on the back of the head by Charenn.

'You look wonderful, dearie.' Unseen by Link (who was nursing his head) Zelda gave a small smile at his comment. But then her old attitude returned. Regarding herself in the mirror, she announced,

'Well, I think I look ridiculous. I mean who needs all this stuff?', gesturing to the ribbons in her hair and the bracelets on her wrists. 'It's way too fancy. And why am I in a skirt? You can't run in a skirt. You can't fight in a skirt. You can't do anything in a skirt!' By this point Link had recovered enough to redeem himself for his earlier blunder.

'You look really great, honestly, but don't you think we should get going? We need to see the Princess, remember?' Zelda nodded and the pair said goodbye to Charenn and left the inn. Link went to untie the horses, but stopped when he saw Zelda wasn't following.

'Aren't we going to ride?'

'It's not that far, and anyway, how am I supposed to ride a horse in this?' Zelda said, gesturing angrily at her skirt.

'You could ride side-saddle,' Link suggested, but Zelda glared at him.

'And you could stop being an idiot. Seeing as neither of those things are going to happen any time soon, I suggest we get going.' Link obeyed and the two made their way – on foot – to the castle.

-o-

If Link had thought Hyrule Castle was impressive from a distance, it was nothing to how it looked up close. Link's head was pointed firmly at the towering building filling the sky above them, and several times Zelda had to stop him from crashing into people. The road through the large arch which led to the castle gardens was thronged with people, travellers, visitors for the Princess, and all manner of others. Finally Link and Zelda made it to the line of people waiting to see their ruler. As they stood there they watched the stream of people coming out of the throne room, where the Princess received her people.

'Why do other people come to see her?' Link asked Zelda. He assumed not every village in the kingdom had been burnt to the ground.

'They all have problems, like us. Problems they need the Princess to solve. Things like famine, drought, illness…'

'But the Princess can't solve any of those things, they're acts of the Goddesses.'

'She can't solve them, not directly, but she gives the people food, water, medicine. Or at least she could. I don't think she actually does.'

'Why not?' Zelda shrugged.

'Not sure. I've never been to this town before, the only things I know about it and the Royal Family are what I learnt from Mylin and Mara. They say that the Princess rarely gives those things to people, there's always some excuse why they don't really need it. Sometimes she just sends them away without any excuse. My friends never actually said it, but I got the feeling that the honourable Princess doesn't actually care about her people very much.'

By this point Link's optimism about the meeting had all but dried up. But he didn't have time to think about this, as while they were talking the line had moved forward until they were at the front, and at that moment they were ushered inside the castle to meet the Princess.

-o-

'Her Royal Highness, Princess Hyra of Hyrule!' a guard announced, far too loudly in Link's opinion given that besides the guard, him and Zelda there was only one other person in the room. As Link and Zelda walked up the long carpet to meet that person, Link was suddenly stopped at the base of the steps leading to the throne by Zelda's arm.

'Close enough, stupid,' she whispered. Following Zelda's lead he bent down on one knee and bowed his head.

'You may rise,' a regal voice drawled. Link obeyed, and took his first look at Princess Hyra. She stared back at him, her red eyes meeting Link's blue. A strand of her dark purple hair fell over her shoulder and she brushed it back impatiently. 'Well? Speak!' she ordered, but Link had no words for this commanding woman. Zelda however didn't seem as blown away by the princess as Link was, and said,

'We've come from Fallhollow Village, which was burnt to the ground on your orders.' This surprised Link; after all they had no proof the Princess was involved other than a scrap of cloth. He expected Hyra to get angry at Zelda for this assumption, but she made no attempt to deny it.

'I have heard of the village. What concern is it of yours?' Zelda stared at her in shock, as did Link. Surely the ruler of the kingdom wasn't admitting to destroying her own people? It was Zelda's turn to be speechless, so Link spoke up.

'Your Majesty, we come from that village and we wanted to know why it was destroyed. What did those people ever do to you?' Link surprised himself with the forcefulness of his tone, and there was a warm sensation in his left hand. Looking down, he saw his Mark of Farore glowing bright green. Suddenly he felt braver than before, as if Farore herself were helping him. The Princess however just laughed slightly, the only sound in the now silent room. Lazily she lifted her left hand slightly, exposing the back. Link and Zelda gasped in unison as they both saw the three wavy lines, glowing softly red. The Mark of Din.

'You already said you were from the village. What I fail to understand is why you have brought such a trivial matter before me.'

'Tri-!' Zelda started, outraged, but Hyra silenced her with a wave of her hand.

'I had heard rumours of dissenters in that village, and as your ruler,' (here her voice grew forceful) 'I decided firm action was needed to prevent the situation from getting out of hand.' Link couldn't understand this. Who in his tiny village would ever cause trouble? No-one there had even heard of the Princess! He looked over at Zelda, who had her eyes tightly shut. She was shaking slightly. The Princess looked triumphant.

'Remove them!' she ordered, and two guards materialised behind Link and Zelda, ready to lead them from the room. But at that moment Zelda stopped shaking. She drew herself up to her full height and opened her eyes, which glowed. Link gasped. Normally Zelda's eyes were light blue, but now her whole eyes, devoid of iris or pupil, shone with a bright azure light as if lit from within.

'Your Majesty,' she said, her tone full of authority. The guards stopped their movements, and even the Princess looked alarmed. 'With all due respect, and by that I mean none whatsoever, I must ask you if such indifference is prudent at this point. You may have great power, but clearly no wisdom, for if you did you would never let your obvious hatred for you own kingdom shine through so strongly!' Hyra looked more than alarmed now. For the first time, she looked scared, and the mark on her hand no longer glowed. Link didn't blame her; Zelda looked as though she was possessed by Hylia herself, and he had never seen her like this before. She continued in a venomous tone.

'And if I were you, _your Highness_ , I would be ashamed to wear that crown.' With this she turned on her heel and strode out, leaving Link alone. He looked up at the Princess and saw to his shock that she was pale, and her eyes were no longer red, but brown. Was it Link's imagination, or had the mark on her hand faded away as well? Hyra looked at Link as if appealing for help, but Zelda's speech had awakened something deep within him, and he felt his courage surging back.

'Your Majesty, maybe you really don't care about your kingdom, and from what I've seen I think that's true. But others do. I do. And if you won't help your people when they come to you in their hour of need, we'll just have to help ourselves. And who knows, maybe we'll find that we don't need a Princess after all.' He turned and left the room, not looking back. In the glimpse he had gotten of the Princess as he turned, he saw that she was still pale, and shaking. The Mark of Din on her hand had faded completely. Link's own Courage was beginning to leave him, but he made it out into the gardens where Zelda was waiting.

-o-

'Well!' she said, pacing up and down. Link leant against the wall, watching her. They were back in Charenn's bar, now attended by a woman Link guessed was the mysterious Mylin. On their way back from the castle Zelda hadn't said a word to Link, and he knew she was still fuming. Having seen the way she addressed royalty when she was this annoyed, Link was in no hurry to provoke her anger himself. When they returned, Zelda had immediately started pacing back and forth across the room, occasionally making exclamations. Link and Mylin met each other's gaze, and silently came to an agreement. Mylin spoke up,

'Zelda dear, I know you're upset, but you're going to carve a groove in the floor!' Zelda stopped, but only to focus her anger on her friend.

'Upset? Upset, Mylin, does not begin to cover this! I mean, how could she just sit there and talk so calmly about destroying Link's home? There were children there! And I don't believe for a moment what she said about dissenters. The… the impudence of that woman!' Link rolled his eyes. Trust Zelda to use long words when she was ranting. But Mylin bravely tried again.

'Zelda, you didn't get much sleep last night. Why don't you go up and have a little rest, and then when you're feeling better you and Link can decide what to do. How does that sound?' Zelda heaved a sigh, but stomped upstairs.

'Phew!' Mylin said when she was safely out of earshot. 'You know, I remember when I first met her. I never thought that sweet, mild little girl would be capable of something like this! Eh, guess it just goes to show, you never can tell with people.' Link nodded. Mylin (and, Link suspected, most of Hyrule Town) had already heard about Zelda's outburst. Link supposed it was the first time anyone had ever dared to speak to the Princess like that. But she deserved it, in Link's opinion. His own anger at her had taken second place to attempting to calm Zelda, but now she was gone he felt his rage bubbling back up. His whole village destroyed, and for what? And he still had no idea why Hyra had ordered such a despicable deed, as like Zelda he didn't believe the story about dissenters.

At that moment a cloaked figure came into the bar. Link was curious, but made way for the figure as they walked over to Mylin. Link could see nothing of their face under their hood, but he started when he heard a woman's voice.

'Please, could you tell me, is there a young lady staying here with blonde hair and blue eyes? I don't know her name.' Link barely contained his gasp. He remembered the voice as that of the woman he had argued with only a few hours earlier. Mylin glanced at Link, and the figure turned. Link could now see her face, and recognised the Princess. But her eyes were brown instead of red, as they had been earlier when Zelda had insulted her. Hyra looked surprised to see Link, but recognised him as well.

'Oh, you… You're her friend. I wonder, could I talk to you for a moment?' Mylin excused herself, leaving Link and Hyra alone in the room. Link looked away as he felt his Mark of Farore growing warm and his hands balling into fists. Of course he would never attack the defenceless Princess, but her attempt at politeness made his blood boil more than her indifference earlier. Hyra sighed, and tried again.

'Please listen to me. I know you hate me, you and your friend, and I've given you no reason to do anything else. I'd hate myself too if I were in your position. And I do hate myself, for what I've done…' Her voice tailed off, and Link looked at her in surprise. 'Please, I just want to explain things to you. I didn't mean to be so harsh before, and I really do want to help you. You have to listen!' Her pleading got through to Link and he nodded. Something was definitely wrong about the situation, how Hyra had been so cold before but so desperate now. Link's residual anger slowly faded, replaced by curiosity. But at that moment Zelda came down the stairs.

'Link, Mylin said there was- you!' She recognised the unfortunate princess immediately. 'What are you doing here?' Hyra was about to speak, but Link leapt to her defence.

'Zelda, something weird is going on. Hyra just wants to explain things to me, and I'm going to listen. We're going to listen.' He expected his friend to be annoyed at his speaking on her behalf, but instead after a tense moment she sat down on a chair next to him and looked at Hyra expectantly.

'Well, get on with it then. And this had better be good!' Despite her angry tone Zelda had clearly calmed down from before. Hyra swallowed, intimidated, but said,

'I really appreciate this, but I can't explain properly here. There's something at the castle I need to show you, but…', as Zelda rose to leave, 'you can't come, I'm afraid. No-one can be allowed to see us, and it'll be hard enough hiding one person. You would draw too much attention.' Zelda glared hard at her, then at Link.

'You're going to go, I assume?' Link nodded. He knew Zelda would be annoyed at him for leaving her to go off with the enemy, but they needed to hear what Hyra had to say. Zelda snorted, then turned and retreated back upstairs. Link watched her go, when Hyra cleared her throat gently.

'Um… we should probably go.' Link nodded, and followed her out back to the castle.

-o-

The journey back was uneventful; in the mid-afternoon crowds on the streets no-one noticed two more people. But Hyra told Link that getting inside the castle itself would be far more difficult. The guards would easily recognise Link as the arrogant boy from that morning, and Hyra told him that she herself had told the guards to throw him out if he returned. This puzzled Link; why the sudden change of character? Why would Hyra refuse to see Link, then a few hours later come find him herself? He said as much, but she assured him that all would be revealed when they reached the castle.

Having reached the outer gardens, accessible from the town itself, Hyra led Link to the left along the wall of the castle, until she suddenly stopped and knocked on the wall. Link was confused; this section of stones looked no different to any other, and there certainly wasn't a door. But to his shock the part of the wall swung outwards, revealing a passage and an old woman. They slipped inside, and Hyra introduced Link.

'Link, this is Impa, my attendant. She knows about my… condition.' Impa nodded to Link and led the way through the secret passage. Eventually Link saw light at the other end, and they emerged into a large room, a study of some kind. From its luxurious appearance, Link guessed this was part of the Princess' private chambers. Impa closed the door behind them, and it merged seamlessly into the wall. It would be impossible to see if you weren't looking for it. The attendant then moved to the other, visible door in the room. She turned to Hyra, saying,

'I will make sure you two are not disturbed.' Hyra thanked her, then the old woman bowed and left. The Princess turned to Link.

'Impa is my oldest and dearest friend. Everyone round here has noticed a change in me since it happened, but she's the only one who knows what's really going on. Come this way, Link.' He followed Hyra into her bedroom, hoping he would finally get some answers. Hyra walked over to the wall and pulled what looked like a curtain cord, but instantly another section of wall swung inwards.

'How many secret rooms does this place have?' Link asked, and Hyra replied,

'When my ancestors built this place, they wanted to be prepared for all eventualities, so there are secret passages out and secret rooms to hide in, in case the castle is ever attacked.'

'Your family really don't trust their people, do they?' Link joked, but Hyra turned to him with sorrow in her eyes.

'Your friend Zelda was right. I do act as though I hate my people. But hopefully you at least will now understand why.' She stepped inside the secret room, and Link followed. There were no windows here or furniture of any kind, except for an old frame in the corner with a cloth over it. Link went to examine this, but Hyra pulled him back.

'Don't look at it! He mustn't see you! Stand over there, and watch the mirror, but don't let your reflection into it.' Puzzled by these strange commands, Link stood in the appointed corner and watched as Hyra took a deep breath and stepped forward. She pulled the cloth off of the frame, and revealed a mirror of dark glass. For a moment nothing happened, just Hyra's pale face reflected in the mirror, but then her reflection warped into another face. This one bore no resemblance to Hyra's. It was a man's face, and at first it seemed normal to Link, but then he noticed the man's eyes. They had no pupils or irises, just the white of the eye. It reminded Link of Zelda's glowing blue eyes earlier, but these eyes were pure blackness.

The man stared out of the glass for a minute, before his lips curled in a cruel smile. Suddenly Link noticed that Hyra was trembling. The mark on her hand burned red and as she looked over at Link, her fearful brown eyes turned red. Link, realising Hyra was powerless to fight whatever was in the mirror, rushed forward and threw the cloth back over it. He heard a scream of rage from within, but it was silenced as the cover fell. Hyra had her eyes closed now, but Link was relieved to see that her Mark of Din had once more faded until it was hard to see. She was swaying though, and suddenly fell forward. Link caught her just before she hit the ground.

-o-

When she came to Hyra found herself lying on her bed as Link watched her with concern. She smiled weakly and sat up, but she was still drained from fighting off the monster from within the mirror. As Link opened his mouth to ask something, she realised she owed him quite a lot of explanation.

'Link, first of all I want to thank you for doing that. I was close to being taken over again, and if you hadn't been there I would have been. You saw the monster in that mirror, correct? Well, that thing is the reason for my cruelty. It's a long story, so I'll start at the beginning. This mark,' (she looked down at her hand) '- I haven't always had it. A few years ago, my father died and I became the new ruler. It was difficult, and I wasn't very good at it, but I tried my hardest to do what was best for my people. But last year, that changed. I received a gift, that mirror, supposedly from one of the nobles in the kingdom, but no-one knew who. I was wary of it, but I had to appear grateful in front of my court. After all, everyone assumed one of them had given it to me. I had it brought up to my room and when I was alone with Impa, I looked into it. I saw that monster.

'His name… Its name is Casineb. I don't know how it got trapped in the mirror or what it wanted, but when I looked into the mirror I released it by accident. It… possessed me. I fell unconscious, but when I woke up everything was different. Physically, with the Mark of Din and my red eyes, but also mentally. When I heard the suffering of my people I no longer cared, I no longer felt compelled to help. I… found myself dismissing people, ignoring them, and worse. I was cruel to them, to my servants, to Impa… and all this time I had no idea what had happened. You see, at first I didn't remember Casineb. I thought all this cruelty had come from me. I hated myself for it, but I couldn't stop.

'Luckily, Impa remembered what had happened when I looked into the mirror. She is a descendant of the Sheikah, the tribe that have protected the Royal Family since the time of the great Hero. She is skilled in magic, and she recognised that I had been taken over by the demon. At first she wanted to destroy that cursed mirror, but she realised that doing that would just destroy the demon's prison, and it would be completely free.

'So instead she cast a spell on me, contained in this necklace,' (here Hyra showed Link a jewel of deep purple hanging round her neck) 'and she locked the mirror away in that room. For a time it worked, but it didn't defeat the monster completely and soon it began to regain its power. Since then I have been locked in battle with it. Sometimes I will win for a short time, but sooner or later it will take control. I was… under its influence when I ordered the burning of your village, of Fallhollow. I am truly sorry for that. As I was doing it, I was screaming at myself to stop, but Casineb was too strong. I just hope you can forgive me, but I understand if you don't.'

The Princess paused, and Link took her hand in his own. He did forgive her, knowing that it was the demon from the mirror and not the kind-hearted princess who had tried to kill his friends. He realised that now, free of the monster, the girl speaking to him was the real Hyra. But she continued.

'When I saw you today the demon was especially strong. It has been hard recently. He only grows in strength. But when I saw the marks on your hand and Zelda's I was afraid. I felt the demon raging inside me. It's never been so angry before, and I felt the power of Din rising when it met its sisters in you two. I thought the demon would strike you two down there, but Zelda… She stopped it. She frightened the demon with her own power. I felt it retreating, hiding, being forced back by her strength. And yours, Link. The two of you did what Impa's magic couldn't, you freed me of the demon, at least for now.

'But as you saw, if I look into that awful mirror Casineb will possess me again. And that's why I asked you to come here, Link. Partly to explain to you why I did those terrible things, but partly because I think you can help me. You have power within you, power I will never have, and nor will that demon. I'm not talking about the Triforce or the blessings of the Goddesses, there's something else in you that makes you strong. So Link, will you help me?' Link nodded, finally beginning to understand some of what had happened since he first left Fallhollow Village.

'Good,' Hyra sighed. 'I may not have long. The demon was invigorated by the chance it just got to retake its power, and soon I will be under its control again, whether I look into the mirror or not. So I implore you, please go quickly. The demon has cursed not just me, but other people in this land. There are three temples, hidden somewhere in Hyrule, each guarded by a great being. But the demon has cursed these beings, so the lands they watch over have been cursed as well. Link, I need you to go to these temples, break the curses, and free those great beings. Together, they will be strong enough to drive the demon back, to destroy it. Do you understand?'

Link nodded once more, then stood as Hyra led him back to the concealed door to the secret passage.

'Go out this way, so no-one will see you. And Link… can you apologise to Zelda for me? I know it wasn't me that hurt her, it was Casineb, but I still feel responsible. I've done so many terrible things, to the kingdom and to you, and she really cares about the people… and about you. So please, tell her I'm sorry for all of this.' Link nodded, then headed back through the passage.

-o-

As he walked he turned over the new information in his mind. Somehow, he was sure, all of this tied in with the quest the Elder had given him. After all, he had now found all three Chosen Ones of the Goddesses, and he assumed that the great evil mentioned was Casineb, the demon possessing Hyra. He couldn't wait to return and tell Zelda. Surely when she heard what he had found, she would forgive Hyra… and hopefully him as well.

Periodically the darkness of the passage was broken by small gratings at eye height, looking out into other rooms of the castle. Most of these were silent as the rooms were unoccupied, but as Link passed one he heard voices laughing. Curious, he stopped and looked through. The room on the other side was large, but crowded with weapons and suits of armour. He assumed this was the guardhouse. In the centre of the room, directly in front of Link, was a table with three men in armour, at varying stages of inebriation. Link's nose wrinkled from the powerful smell of alcohol.

The door opened and the men immediately stood to variations on the theme of attention, but they were all too drunk to do it properly. The new man however didn't seem to mind, and picking up a tankard from the table he joined his friends in their drinking. He was armed, like his friends, but from his more impressive armour Link guessed he was of a higher rank. The only other difference was the cloth draped over the man's chest, over his chainmail. The other three had these intact, with a familiar golden bird insignia on the red fabric. But the fourth man's cloth was ripped, and the bird was missing. Link gasped as he recognised it. This was the owner of the cloth he and Zelda had found in Fallhollow, meaning that this was one of the men who had burnt the village! Link forgave Hyra for giving the order, as she was under the influence of the demon, but how could this man have obeyed her? Loyalty only went so far, surely the man wouldn't have done something so terrible of his own accord. But as he listened, Link's question was answered for him.

'You took your time, Branford!' one of the lower-ranking men was saying. 'You've been gone for days!'

'Well after we dealt with those forest hovels I decided to pay a visit to some friends of mine in the west,' the other man, apparently Branford, replied. At his description of the village Link's hands curled into fists again.

'I still can't believe the Princess actually ordered you to destroy that village,' another man said.

'You should never doubt the orders of your ruler,' Branford told him sternly. 'Myself, I'm just surprised she didn't do that sort of thing before. A little place like that, not paying taxes, not contributing anything to the kingdom… It's not doing anything good, so why keep it around? The Princess was far too soft on those people before. She should have sent us out there a long time ago. If you ask me, the only shame was that the people there somehow got wind of us beforehand. Now they'll run off and corrupt other hard-working citizens of our fair country. Wish I could have killed them there and then.'

There was an awkward silence in the room, but Link didn't care. He set off down the tunnel at a run, not trusting himself to stay and listen to the hateful man a moment longer without yelling. But he promised himself, if he ever caught sight of that man again, he would make sure he regretted ever touching Link's home.

-o-

A/N: We've finally met the bad guy! Yay! I know Casineb isn't a canon Zelda character, but this is after all my take on the Zelda universe, and I wanted to use my own villain. Without wanting to give you guys a spoiler, any of you who speak Welsh may or may not be able to guess why I named the villain Casineb. All will be revealed at some later date. And who knows, maybe some proper Zelda bad guys will pop up later on...


	5. Chapter 5: In Search of the Zoras

A/N: Hello, me again. The first half of this chapter is mostly filler, some of it is background for one of my OCs. The story gets going about halfway down, so don't be put off! It does go somewhere, I promise...

-o-

While Link was meeting the Princess and working on his anger management, Zelda was impatient. For the fifth time that afternoon she came downstairs to the bar to check, although at this point she didn't really expect Link to have returned. The bar was the same as it had been last time she had seen it, as it was too early for customers, but now Mylin was talking to a young girl who reminded Zelda a lot of Charenn. As she turned to huff back upstairs, Mylin called out to her.

'Zelda, come meet Cariad. She's Charenn's niece and she's new to the town like you, so be nice!' Zelda came back, ashamed of herself. If Mylin thought she was going to be mean to a girl she had never met, clearly she had gone too far before. As she was introduced Zelda remembered something.

'I borrowed one of your dresses before. I hope that's okay, your aunt said I could.'

'That's fine,' Cariad replied, and Zelda was surprised how similar her voice was to Charenn's. Mylin seemed pleased by Zelda being sociable, so she suggested,

'Cariad, why don't you show Zelda the library? I'm sure she'd want to see it.' At the mention of a library Zelda looked up. She loved reading, but other than the few books at Mara's house she had only ever read one book, the old one of Hyrulean legends she carried round with her. Fortunately, Cariad seemed only too happy to show her new friend around the city, so Zelda followed her out, talking as she went.

'Have you been here before?' she asked.

'A few times, to visit my aunt, but this is the first time I've come by myself. Normally my parents don't trust me to travel this far alone.' Cariad replied.

'What changed?' Cariad looked round, but no-one near them was listening.

'If you promise not to tell anyone… I ran away.' Zelda was surprised. She didn't have many memories of her own parents, but she had always gotten the impression that parents were a good thing, not to be run from.

'Why?' she asked.

'It's complicated. Basically, I fell in love with someone my parents didn't approve of, so I left to get away from them and be free to live my own life.' Zelda understood this.

'So did he come with you?'

'Who?' Cariad asked.

'The man you fell in love with.' Cariad giggled at this.

'No, she was married. That's why I couldn't be with her… well, part of the reason.' Zelda nodded, but then the pronoun registered.

'She?'

'Yes,' said Cariad. 'I don't like men, I like women. The one I fell in love with didn't feel the same way, after all she married a man, but also my parents were against it. I think they had planned to marry me off to some local lord. That's why I left. I don't want to marry any man, and besides I'm only fifteen. That's way too young to marry. My aunt understands these things, and she knows how difficult it is to come out. Plus she's perfectly happy lying to my parents. When my mother found out about Aunt Charenn, she broke off contact and the two haven't spoken since. My aunt had to beg for ages to even be allowed to see me. Anyway, Aunt Charenn never forgave my mother, so I'm safe here with her,' Cariad finished. Zelda let this sink in.

'Wait, Charenn is…'

'A lesbian? Yes, didn't you ever notice her and Mylin?' Cariad asked.

'Um… of course I did,' replied Zelda. In truth she hadn't, having never seen them together, but she didn't want to admit her ignorance. That explained a lot. Still, she was glad the young girl had someone to support her. Their conversation distracted Zelda from the journey, and when she looked up they were already at the library. It was an enormous building, and inside were shelves stacked with books reaching up to the high domed ceiling. Cariad had a specific book in mind, so she left Zelda among the maze of books. She was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of knowledge around her, but eventually finding one on ancient history that looked interesting, she sat down to read.

After a while she pulled a piece of paper towards her, and hastily made some notes. Some time after that she got up and took some more books off the shelves, checking what she had read in the first book was true. Finally, as the sun was setting outside, Cariad came and found Zelda surrounded by towering piles of books. Happy that her new friend had enjoyed herself, she walked with Zelda back to the inn, talking as she did so about the town, her home, her family. But Zelda was barely listening. All she could think of was Link's face when she told him what she had found.

-o-

When Link returned to the inn it was already past sunset. The bar was crowded like the night before, so Link headed straight upstairs to his room. The candle was still burning on the small table, but the blankets on Zelda's bed were heaped up around her sleeping form, so he tried not to wake her. He was just closing the door when a voice behind him said,

'Where have you been?' He turned, and there was Zelda, arms folded. He looked back at the bed and saw that her 'sleeping form' was in fact a pile of cushions, put there to trick him. 'I waited for ages, and you didn't come back! I was worried about you!' Zelda told him. Link backed away, but asked,

'Why? You really think I can't handle myself with the Princess? Or were you jealous?' Zelda was about to reply but stopped, blushing. Fortunately for her in the dim candlelight Link couldn't see it.

'I was not jealous. You were taking a while, that's all. I hope that Princess had something good to show for it after she dragged you off like that, and after she was so rude this morning.' Link swiftly told her what Hyra had told him, about Casineb, the mirror, the curse and the way to break it. Zelda listened open mouthed, until Link told him about Hyra's apology. She looked ashamed.

'I have to admit, I judged that girl a bit soon. I mean, how was I supposed to know she was possessed by demon? But still… next time we see her, I'm definitely going to make it up to her. And at least we now have some answers. First thing in the morning, we need to look into these temples. We can't let that Casineb thing hurt any more innocent people.' There was a finality to her tone that made Link smile. It seemed as though he and Hyra were forgiven.

He said goodnight to Zelda and quickly went to sleep, exhausted from his day. Zelda lay awake a while longer though. She had wondered if she should tell him about what she found at the library, but that could wait. After all, she could be wrong. But in her heart Zelda knew she wasn't, and her dreams that night confirmed it.

-o-

The next morning Link and Zelda came down yawning heavily.

Mylin looked at them and asked, 'Busy night?' with a wink. This went over Link's head as usual, but Zelda glared at her. They had both dreamed about their strange almost-doppelgangers again last night, hence the exhaustion, but they had decided not to tell Mylin or anyone else about their shared dreams.

'Where's Cariad?' she asked.

'Still in bed. As are most people. What are you two doing up so early?'

'We've got to find three ancient and mysterious temples, and we have no idea where to start,' Link answered. He felt the way he had when he first set off from Fallhollow Village, with a great quest in front of him and no clues whatsoever. But just as then, inspiration struck in the form of Cariad, coming downstairs. Mylin suggested they ask her about it, as she spent all her time studying in the town library, and might have read something of use. It took a while to explain the situation to Cariad, who was still half asleep, but eventually she came up with something.

'A traveller came by our village a while ago and said something strange was going on with the Zoras in the desert. He said he thought it was something to do with their temple out there. My village is half a day's ride to the west of here, and the desert is a day further than that. You can't miss it.' Zelda thanked her, but something stirred in Link's memory. He had heard the guard, Branford, talking about visiting his "friends in the west". From his tone Link didn't think they were really friends, and knowing what the man was capable of made him worry for Cariad's village.

Once the girl was out of earshot he told Zelda about his fears, and she agreed that they should leave as soon as possible. Shortly afterwards therefore they were once more leading their horses through the crowded streets, having said goodbye to Mylin and promised Cariad they wouldn't tell her parents where she was. Once outside the city they mounted up and rode off towards the west.

-o-

After a while they stopped to let the horses drink from a small stream, and to eat something themselves. Link took the opportunity to ask Zelda about the Zoras.

'They're an ancient people, descended from one of the four great races from the time of the Goddess Hylia. There were the Hylians (which are us), the Kikwi who lived in the early Faron Woods, the Gorons who travelled around, but are believed to have settled in the volcanic regions, and the Parella, also from Faron Woods and who originally served one of the three dragons. Over time, the Parella became the Zora. They vanished from the Woods some time after the Hero defeated Demise, and until now I didn't think they were still alive. Clearly I was wrong.'

'What were they like?' Link asked, taking advantage of Zelda's vast knowledge.

'Well, their main characteristic was that they were a water-dwelling people, which is why I was surprised to hear Cariad say they were in the desert. But originally, long before the time of the Hero of the Skies, Lanayru Desert was a lush place, with trees and grass and plenty of water. Apparently there was even an ocean there. That all dried up when the winds changed and the area became the desert it is today, but if there was water there once maybe the winds changed again and brought it back. I don't know, I've never been to the desert, but hopefully someone in Cariad's village can tell us.'

She lay back on the grass and closed her eyes. 'You know, I was thinking. We should probably drop by and see Mara as we're going in that direction. It's not much of a detour and I want to tell her what we've found.' Link agreed, and they rode off in the direction of the house.

-o-

Mara was just as ecstatic to see them as she was before, but Link thought she was happiest of all to see Epona. The redhead chatted to the bay mare as she led the horses to the stable, and Link and Zelda went inside to find Taro and a familiar face.

'Charenn!' Zelda said with a smile. 'What are you doing here?'

'I was going to see my family in Lanayru Village but, well, they didn't exactly greet me with open arms. So I'm staying here for a night, and returning to Hyrule Town tomorrow with my new friends.'

'Friends?' Link asked, but at that moment the door him opened and someone barrelled into him from behind, knocking him to the ground.

'Link!' the girl yelled. 'You're alive!' Link had had all the air knocked out of him, but he smiled with joy as Quin looked down at him, wide-eyed.

'I'm fine, but I'd be a lot better if you got off my chest,' he managed, and Quin helped him up. She opened the door and yelled at someone outside,

'Faru! Get in here! You'll never believe who just turned up!' Link felt giddy with relief, knowing that his two closest friends were alive and safe. Faru came in the door and pulled Link into a tight hug, clearly just as relieved to see his friend as Link was to see him. By now the small house was getting crowded, so Link led his friends outside as they explained to him what had happened.

'Not very long after you left, Link,' Quin was saying, 'a soldier from Hyrule Town came running into the village and told everyone that more soldiers were coming to destroy the village and everyone in it. Of course, we all panicked, but we got out okay thanks to his warning, everyone except the Elder. He… well, I guess you know what happened. At least he never had to see his beloved village destroyed. We decided to leave him there, once we found him. We couldn't have carried a body with us, and we thought he would prefer to stay in the village he protected for so long. Afterwards, we all split up in the forest. I think most people are probably still there, but don't worry, they know how to look after themselves. Faru and I stuck together and decided to try to reach Hyrule Town, but we didn't really know where we were going. Fortunately we came across Mara and her father, and now Charenn, who's going to take us there in the morning. But enough about us, what happened to you, Link? After the village was destroyed we were so worried.'

Link explained all his adventures to them, and they listened in rapt silence. After a while Zelda came out, and Link triumphantly introduced her to Quin.

'This is Zelda, the girl you said I imagined in the tree. But I didn't, see!' Quin rolled her eyes, leaving Link to explain their argument to Zelda and Faru who were looking at them in confusion. The four spent a happy few hours catching up, until Zelda noticed the sun nearing the horizon.

'Link, we should probably get a move on if we're going to reach Cariad's village by nightfall.' Link was unwilling to leave his friends so soon, but Zelda was right. He explained this to Faru who nodded solemnly.

'Okay. Just take care of yourself, bud.'

'You too,' Link replied, although secretly he suspected that their journey wasn't too hard on Faru. Yes, he had lost his home but he was spending all his time in the company of the girl he loved. Link could think of worse situations. As he turned to Quin, she hugged him tightly as she had the day he left Fallhollow. Over her shoulder, Link saw Faru looking uncomfortable but he made no move to stop them. Behind Link, Quin could see Zelda looking at the ground, but she also said nothing. Quin narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Finally she released Link and he and Zelda said their goodbyes to Mara and Charenn. Faru went to put a comforting arm round Quin's shoulders, but she shrugged him off. She could really do without his puppy-love right now. Faru gave up and went inside, but Quin watched until the green-garbed hero disappeared over the horizon, beyond even her keen sight.

-o-

Dusk was gathering around the two travellers as they reached Lanayru Village, former home of Charenn and Cariad. They led their horses over to what looked like an inn, with a woman outside staring off at the sunset with her back to them. Even from behind though, Zelda recognised her…

'Charenn?' … or so she thought. The woman turned, and though she did bear a striking resemblance to the barwoman, she wasn't her. She looked, Link thought, like Charenn would if she had never laughed or smiled in her life, which would be quite out of character for the friendly woman. Link supposed the frowning one in front of them was the fabled sister.

'I'm sure I don't know who you mean!' the woman said angrily. As turned to go Zelda said,

'Wait! Please, we need somewhere to stay. Do you run the inn?' The woman stopped and narrowed her eyes at the pair.

'Ye-es… But if you're friends of that dreadful woman then we're fully booked!' Link gaped at her. Zelda had told him about the medieval attitudes Cariad's and Charenn's family seemed to have, but he hadn't believed it until now. Luckily Zelda was ready with an authentic-sounding, if untruthful, response.

'Oh no, we're not _friends_. We met her briefly in Hyrule Town, but we couldn't stay. Her and that other woman, what was her name? Mylin? Urgh, it disgusted me.' Link had to hide a smile at the melodramatic performance Zelda put on. But her over-acting and lies weren't spotted by Charenn's sister, whose frown disappeared as if by magic.

'Yes, it's quite dreadful, isn't it? We're all so ashamed of her. And my daughter, well. All I can say is it must run in the blood. At least Cariad had the decency to pick one or the other, unlike Charenn… But I digress. We have a room and you would be welcome to use it. My name is Astellyl, by the way.' Zelda stared in shock as Astellyl went inside.

'What's wrong?' Link asked.

'I'll explain later.' Zelda replied. 'Let's just say the name Astellyl suits that woman very well indeed.'

-o-

Shortly afterwards Link and Zelda sat down to eat, accompanied by the somewhat offensive chatter of Astellyl, who seemed to think that she had found two kindred spirits in the pair. Link tried his hardest to ignore her. Eventually she left to attend to another customer, and Link relaxed.

'Have you noticed anything weird?' Zelda asked him. 'About their eyes?' Link stared at her. As far as he was concerned, Astellyl and her husband Ifud, who they had met earlier, had two eyes, one on either side of their face. He didn't see anything especially strange about that. He was about to point this out to Zelda when Astellyl returned. Before she could embark on another rant, Link quickly announced that he was full, and was going to bed. Zelda immediately joined him. Neither of them wanted to spend their evening listening to their host babbling on about the supposed wrongs her family had done her by falling in love with women. When they reached the safety of their room the two sighed in relief simultaneously, causing them both to burst out laughing.

'So,' said Link when he had recovered, lying down on one of the beds. 'You were talking about names?'

'Oh yes,' Zelda replied. 'I'm not sure why, but all the people in this village, or at least the ones in this family, have names which come from Old Hylian. It's a language that was spoken long ago, before even the time of the Hero. It was used at the time when the goddess Hylia still walked among mortals in her goddessly form, and she used it when she left messages for the Hero. I learnt a bit of the language from my old book, so I can understand some of it.'

'So what do the names mean?' Link asked.

'Well, Cariad means love. Charenn comes from a word meaning friendship, so that's appropriate. Ifud, Cariad's dad, is from the word for obedient.' The two laughed at the fittingness of this name, as Ifud was indeed obedient, a henpecked husband under the thumb of his wife.

'And Astellyl?'

'That comes from two words: one meaning hag, and one meaning… bitch.'

'So her name means bitch-hag?'

'It's a bit crude, but essentially, yes,' Zelda replied. Link smiled, understanding what Zelda had meant earlier about Astellyl suiting her name. It did sum her up rather well.

'There's one more thing. That thing that was possessing Hyra, you said its name was Casineb, right? Well, that's from Old Hylian too. I guess it makes sense if we're dealing with an ancient demon, that it would have an ancient name.' Link sat up, curious about the serious tone of Zelda's conversation. She continued.

'Casineb is the ancient word for hatred. I think that might be significant.' Link silently agreed. Hatred did seem to explain most of the demon's actions, but hatred for what? Hylian-kind? And hatred from whom? Who had given the demon its name? But Zelda wasn't finished, changing topic.

'Remember what I was trying to tell you earlier, about the eyes?' Link did remember, but he didn't see how why it was imporatn. 'I was wondering about Cariad. See, she has blue eyes. I'm not sure how it works exactly, but I do know that for her to be like that her parents would have to be blue-eyed as well. But her supposed parents, Obedient and Bitch-hag down there,' Link chuckled at her use of the nicknames, 'both have brown eyes. Makes me wonder if they really are her parents.' Link shrugged. Investigating Cariad's parentage was interesting, but Link didn't see where Zelda was going with it. But she continued undeterred.

'You know who does have blue eyes, though? Charenn.' Link's eyes widened as he realised what Zelda was suggesting.

'But how could she… I mean, she's not attracted to men, so how could she have a daughter?'

'Remember what Astellyl said earlier about Cariad picking "one or the other, unlike Charenn"? It's a crude and insulting way of putting it, but I think she meant that Charenn is attracted to men and women. And I remember Mylin once told me, a few years ago, that she had met another woman to run the bar with. Obviously at that point I didn't realise Mylin was in love with this new woman, but anyway. Mylin said that she had come to Hyrule Town after an affair she had back home didn't work out. Apparently the woman had asked Mylin if she could bring her daughter with her when she came to the town, but when she turned up there was no child. Do you see?' Link did, sort of, but he was still trying to connect the dots. Zelda sighed impatiently and Link frowned at her. For all her knowledge, sometimes she forgot that not everyone was blessed by the Goddess of Wisdom.

'I think that Charenn's daughter was Cariad. She must have had a child with some man here, but had to leave her behind when she left for some reason. And by some reason, I mean her dear sainted sister. Astellyl must have known that Charenn wanted to live with a woman, because Cariad said that was why they argued. I think she probably assumed that baby Cariad would be better off raised by a man and a woman than by two women. Goddesses only know why she thought that. It's a long convoluted story, I know, but I think Cariad is actually Charenn's daughter, not Astellyl's.' Link nodded, having finally understood what Zelda was telling him.

'Well, it would explain why Charenn is so keen to see her "niece". I wonder if Cariad knows?'

'Probably not,' Zelda said, 'or she would likely have left here a long time ago. I get the feeling she didn't get along overly well with her "parents". But now she's living in Hyrule Town with Charenn, she'll probably find out. If nothing else, sooner or later Mylin will tell her. After all, she must have recognised her. She's practically identical to her mother.' Link nodded. He felt sorry for Cariad, growing up in such a hate- and prejudice-filled environment, but now she had Charenn as a mentor. The girl could hardly do better than that. He sighed contentedly, and fell asleep.

-o-

Early the next morning Link and Zelda saddled up their horses and snuck out of the still-sleeping village. Neither of them wanted another conversation with Astellyl. After a few hours' riding, the desert loomed on the horizon. From afar it had looked like a golden puddle in the distance, but up close it became an all-encompassing sea of sand, the air above it shimmering with heat. Link thanked the Goddesses he and Zelda had 'borrowed' several empty bottles from Astellyl and Ifud, and filled them with water. He had felt bad about stealing, but he supposed they could always return the bottles later. After all, it wasn't as though anyone would miss a few empty bottles. As he urged Epona closer to Zelda he said,

'I thought you said the Zoras live in water! Seems like the only water around here is the stuff we're bringing with us.' Zelda nodded, and Link could see she was concerned. This was hardly a fitting environment for water-dwelling creatures. After a while longer of the monotonous terrain and the baking heat, Link and Zelda dismounted and lead their horses by hand. The poor animals were struggling in the intense heat, and it was too much to expect them to carry their masters as well. Zelda had debated leaving them behind, beyond the desert, but Link was worried about monsters. He knew they were around, and although he hadn't seen any in the flesh, he occasionally saw tracks in the sand.

He wondered what type of enemies they would face out here. He had been practicing with his sword when Zelda wasn't around; he had barely survived their encounter with just four Bokoblins, and that was with Zelda helping him. He knew they would likely face much tougher challenges on their journey, and he wanted to be prepared. He just didn't feel comfortable practicing in front of Zelda. He could imagine the look of amusement mixed with pity in her eyes, and wanted it to stay just in his imagination.

Suddenly he heard a rustling sound behind him. He turned and at first saw nothing, but then he noticed the sand billowing up slightly in a line, as if swept up by an invisible fan. As he watched the line suddenly stopped, and at the point where the 'fan' would be the sand bubbled up in a fountain. Four yellow claws emerged, followed by a green tip. The claws, arranged around a gaping mouth, opened and shut as the monster moved towards the group. Link was frozen with shock and the horrific appearance of the monster, but Zelda reacted faster. She had already unsheathed her sword and leapt past Link, burying it in the monster. But it was too quick; it sank back below the sand causing Zelda to plunge her sword into the bare desert ground.

'What was that?' Link asked, taking hold of his own sword. The monster might be out of sight but he knew it could return at any moment.

'A Leever,' Zelda replied, brushing a strand of hair away from her flushed face. Suddenly the sand around them bubbled up again, this time in multiple places. Four Leevers emerged, circling round the two fighters. They immediately went after the monsters, but just as before they retreated just as the Hylians reached them, causing them to slash emptily at the air. The Leevers returned, and the process was repeated over and over until a careless Leever got too close to Epona. The horse reared up and brought her front hooves, and her full weight, down on the hapless monster below her. It was crushed instantly, but as Link and Zelda noticed what had happened another Leever appeared to take the place of its fallen friend.

This time though, the monsters' luck had run out. Link and Zelda slashed away at the monsters wherever they appeared. The Leevers still dodged some attacks, but with the combined force of the two Hylians, Epona and Zelda's mare Rhiannon all fighting, there were soon many dead Leevers around them. Link found himself surrounded by the final four of the monsters, but quickly performed a spin attack, learnt from Zelda during their first fight together as partners. This hit all four monsters, killing them, and Link swung his sword at the empty air a few times before putting it away, triumphant.

Suddenly the bodies of the monsters burst into swirling purple smoke which sank beneath the sand. Zelda and Link looked at each other, confused, before the sand between them once again fountained up. But this time, rather than a small mound appearing, the sand kept going until it was higher than Link's head. A giant Purple Leever appeared, gnashing its fangs angrily. Link and Zelda met each other's gaze, nodded, and leapt into the air simultaneously. The Leever was unprepared for an assault from both sides and screeched in pain as both swords hit it. After a few more slashes from each side it collapsed, again bursting into purple smoke. When it cleared all that was left of the monster was a large purple gemstone on the sand. Zelda picked it up and tossed it to Link.

'Consider this your tip,' she said with a wink. Link smiled and placed the purple rupee in his pouch. He had seen blue or green rupees in the forest, and occasionally red, but the stones were generally thought to be the crystallised life-force of defeated monsters, and those were few and far between in the peaceful Faron Woods. As a result most business in Fallhollow Village relied on trading favours rather than money. Link had never before seen a purple rupee, worth fifty green ones, and certainly hadn't imagined owning one.

But while he was admiring his small fortune Zelda was setting off again, and Link quickly followed. He was tired from the physical exertion of the fight and reached for his final bottle of water, downing it in one gulp. He needed the liquid, but he knew without water they wouldn't last long in the fierce heat of the desert. Silently, he prayed to the Goddesses for help.

-o-

Apparently someone was listening, because just a few minutes later Zelda pointed to something in the distance. Link squinted at the spot she was showing him. It was difficult to see through the heat haze, but it looked like water. Link took off with Epona running behind him, and Zelda followed. Soon they reached the spot and to his joy there was a small oasis, with palm trees and a pool of clear water in the middle. He and Zelda greedily gulped down the sweet, cool liquid and their horses did the same. Then, having filled their bottles once more with water, they lay back on the patch of grass surrounding the pool.

The sun was just setting on the horizon, and the stars could dimly be seen in the cloudless night sky above. Link sighed happily, grateful for the providence of the Goddesses. As he lay there he pondered their next destination. He and Zelda had trekked through the desert the entire day without seeing a single sign of civilisation, let alone the mysterious Zoras. The featureless sandscape was broken only by a long line of mountains, rising into the clouds to the north of the oasis. He wondered what was on the other side; from what Link had seen he would guess the range was a vaguely circular shape, enclosing something. But the mountains were far too high to go over, and he hadn't seen any passes or ways through at their bases, so he supposed the best thing to do would be to keep going, hoping for a gap in the impenetrable mountain barrier. He told his plan to Zelda, who agreed.

'If I lived in this desert, with all the monsters, a place like that with natural shields on all sides would be a good choice of home. If the Zoras are here, they might have settled on the other side of those mountains.'

Link got up and stretched, tethering the horses securely before setting off to find a place to spend the night. The air had turned bitterly cold without the sun's heat, and they needed shelter. Unfortunately, finding this was easier said than done in the flat sand. But Link had spied a small mound a short distance away, and he went to investigate. It would hardly help to keep the icy winds off of them, but at least the added height could help them to spot any approaching monsters. Link didn't want to be surprised by the Leevers again.

Closer to he saw that the mound was made of tough rock, not shifting sand. He climbed on top to survey the surrounding desert, but suddenly he felt thin air under his feet. He yelled as he plunged down the hole, sliding down what looked like a tunnel. The walls were rough rock which scraped his hands as he grabbed at it, but the floor was worn smooth. Eventually he slid out the other end, into a small cave in the rock, banging his head in the process. As he rubbed it, he looked around the room. It had the same rough sides and smooth floor as the tunnel-slide, and the floor was sprinkled with sand, but more evenly than Link would have expected had it been done solely by the desert winds. Another, flatter tunnel led off from this room, but other than that the only feature was the sloped tunnel Link had entered by.

He was inspecting this to see if he could climb back up when the light at the other end was blocked out. He moved out of the way just in time as Zelda shot out the end, much more gracefully than Link had done; she even managed to stay on her feet.

'There you are! I got worried when I lost sight of you, and then I found this hole. Are you okay?' she asked, looking worried. Link gave a rueful smile and shrugged.

'I'm not hurt, but we are stuck in an underground tunnel with no apparent way of getting back out.'

'What about that way?' Zelda asked, pointing to the other tunnel. Link shrugged again and led the way into the darkness.

-o-

A/N: yay, you made it! Next chapter should be a bit more interesting (hint: the Zoras are involved). I should be able to update sometime tomorrow, so keep an eye out!


	6. Chapter 6: The Cursed Domain

A/N: Me again. I know you're probably getting bored of hearing from me, but I've got important stuff to say. First of all, I want to say a mahoosive thank you to everyone who read this. Last I checked there were 187 views. Wooo! And also thank you to the people who reviewed this. I was starting to worry that this story wasn't very good, but reading your lovely reviews cheered me right up and inspired me to keep going!

Second of all, an apology: this chapter is going to be short. But on the upside, tomorrow's chapter is going to be much longer, so bear with!

-o-

The new tunnel was larger than the last, but the dim light from outside no longer illuminated the passage. Instead, luminous crystals protruded from the walls periodically, giving Link just enough light to avoid walking into walls. Zelda followed behind him, but suddenly grabbed his arm. Link paused mid-step as Zelda pointed to the ground where he was about to put his foot.

'Look! What's that?' Link bent down and examined the mark in the sand. It looked like a footprint, but it was larger and more… triangular than a Hylian footprint. It looked as though whoever had made the footprint had webbed feet. Link and Zelda looked at each other in excitement. Finally, a sign that the Zoras were still here. The sharpness of the footprint made it look fresh, perhaps only a day old. Spurred on by this Link and Zelda hurried along the tunnel. Gradually it began to slope upwards until they emerged back into the desert night, on the other side of the ring of mountains. But at first Link didn't believe they were still in a desert.

Before them lay a lush valley, with green grass and trees. There were pools of water dotted around, and Link spotted something moving in one of them. He ran over just as something blue jumped out and landed on him, knocking him onto his back.

'Go away and leave us alone!' the figure yelled in Link's face. He was too shocked to reply. The figure on his chest was a small boy of about nine, but Link couldn't tell as he had no experience with Zoras. And this was undoubtedly a Zora, with blue scales instead of skin and a long fishy tail instead of hair. At this point Link recovered enough to sit up, causing the boy to slide off his chest to the grass. He looked angry, but Link saw that the anger was a cover for his fear. Zelda had caught up by now as Link asked the boy,

'Why do we have to leave? We just got here.'

'You're like that other Hylian who came and made all the water go away!' the boy yelled back. Link frowned, then inspiration dawned.

'This man… was he wearing armour?' he asked, dreading the answer.

'Yes…' the boy answered suspiciously. 'So you admit that you know him!'

'I do know him,' Link replied. 'And believe me, I hate him just as much as you do.' He realised now that Branford's 'friends in the west' were in fact the Zoras, rather than the people of Lanayru Village. From what the boy said it sounded as though Branford had done something to the Zoras' water supply. The child was still staring at Link, but Zelda said,

'Yes, we don't like that man. And if you don't like him, then that puts us on the same side, doesn't it?' The boy processed this, then broke into a smile.

'I think so. Just wait till Mama hears about you! She's been saying for ages that you were going to come.' This confused Link.

'Wait, what? How does your mother know about us?' The boy took Link and Zelda by the hand and led them down into the valley towards the mountain border.

'Mama has dreams sometimes, dreams about the future! A few years back she foresaw that a Hylian was going to come and save us. When that horrible man in armour came we all thought he was the saviour, even though we didn't really need saving then. So we showed him where Zora's Waterfall is, which is where all the water in the valley comes from. But he did something horrible and now the water isn't flowing anymore! But don't worry, when Mama sees you she'll tell you how to fix this.' Zelda was struggling to keep her balance as the little boy dragged them along.

'And who are you?'

''m Latiro, but everyone calls me Lati,' the boy replied. 'My Mama is in charge of all the people here.' Link and Zelda exchanged a glance over Latiro's head. Their only goal had been to find the Zoras, and now it looked like they were going to have to save them. Lati pulled the two Hylians down into the gorge at the bottom of the valley. It looked like it was once the path of a river, but it was bone dry now. Lati turned and ran up this, towards a steep rock face. As they approached Link noticed an ornate arch built into the rock. They went inside, to find a large and pleasantly cool cavern.

'Whoa…' was Link's only response. The place was full of Lati's people, male and female, of all ages, swimming in a clear pool in the centre of the cavern. The walls were covered in intricate designs, and the floor was a mosaic of blue stones. There were no windows here, but the water itself seemed to give off light. Stepping closer Link saw that the pool was lined with the luminous crystals from the tunnel earlier. The whole effect was unearthly, but breathtakingly beautiful. At the other end of the room, regarding the visitors calmly, was another Zora, a female, but immediately Link recognised her as the leader of the Zoras. She wore a delicate silver crown set with sapphires on her head, and the way she carried herself reminded Link of Princess Hyra, but with none of the possessed Princess' arrogance. Zelda and Link knelt before her, but Latiro ran straight up to her and hugged her round her knees.

'Mama! I found the Hylians!' The woman smiled, and picked Lati up in her arms before addressing her guests.

'Greetings. I am Lula, Queen of the Zoras and ruler of Zoras Domain.'

'We are-' Zelda began.

'Link and Zelda, from the southern forests of Faron Woods. Yes, I know who you are. Your arrival here was written in the stars.' Link looked surreptitiously up at the Queen only to find her smiling down at him. 'There is no need to be shy. Come, we have much to discuss.' She left Lati with the other Zoras and led Link and Zelda to a room behind her throne. Once the door was closed it was like a shadow fell across the Queen. She looked ten years older, haggard and tired. Link opened his mouth to comment but Zelda elbowed him into silence. The Queen began to speak.

'You have seen, I assume, the sorry state of my queendom and my people? That is the work of one of your kind. He came here four days ago, telling my people he was sent on a mission from the goddess Nayru to help us. They knew of the prophecy and obeyed him, leading him to the Zora's Waterfall. This is a sacred spring from whence all the water in our domain flows. But that hateful man was sent by no god. He blocked the spring, and stopped the waters from flowing. He escaped while my people were in a panic. And well they should be, for without water our kind cannot survive. Already the great river has dried up and the streams it fed have become mere pools. Soon the great Desert Sea itself will dry up, and then my people will die.' The Queen looked at her guests, and Link was startled to see tears shining in her eyes. 'We were mistaken before, thinking that- that dog was the hero sent to save us. But now I see that you are the one we were waiting for.' Link looked at Zelda, surprised that she was such a legend among the Zora. But to his shock both Zelda and Lula were looking at him.

'…Me?'

'Yes, Link, you are the Hero sent by the Goddesses. And I sense that you will save not just my people, but many others as well.' Link's eyes widened at this, but he felt his Mark of Farore burning and Courage filled him. He met the Queen's gaze.

'Okay. What do I have to do?'

-o-

Later that night Link headed to the room the Queen had given him; for once he and Zelda were in separate rooms. He was grateful for Lula's generosity, but he wished he could talk to his friend about his task. The Queen had told him to set off at first light and head up the valley, where he would find the remains of the waterfall. Once there it was his task to figure out how to solve the problem. He had assumed that he would have Zelda with him who would immediately know what to do, but when he told her this she had laughed and said that it was his quest, that he was the Hero, not her.

Link sighed. He knew that his mission was vital to the survival of the Zoras, but both the Queen and Zelda seemed to be treating it more like a test. Just one that he absolutely must not fail. He lay down on the bed. It had already been past sunset when he had first come to Zoras Domain, and after meeting Latiro and Lula it was past midnight by the time he finally got to bed. But he lay there for a while, unused to the silence in the room. Normally he had the sound of Zelda's steady breathing to lull him to sleep, but tonight he was alone. He sighed, and tried not to think about how much he missed her.

-o-

At dawn the next morning Link was shaken awake violently by a pair of small hands.

'Psst! Mama says it's time for you to go!' Lati said.

'Urrgh… what time is it? And what are you doing up so early?' Link replied.

'I was excited! I get to see the great Hero on his adventure!' Link blinked groggily. With just a few hours' sleep he didn't feel particularly adventurous. Or heroic, for that matter. 'I'll go wake Zelda up!' Lati said, but Link stopped him.

'Leave her be. At least one of us should be allowed to sleep in for once.'

'But she asked me to! She said she wanted to see you before you leave.' Link was surprised and touched by this. But he shook his head.

'I won't be gone long. I'll probably be back in a few hours. She can see me then.' Lati shrugged and lead Link out to the throne room. It was a mystery to Link where the young boy got his energy from, as he always seemed to be bouncing around. Queen Lula stood waiting for him at the arched entrance to her throne room, looking out over the dry valley. It seemed to Link as though the queendom was more parched than the day before, now he saw it in daylight. What had looked like lush grass at night was actually withered and yellow. He knew he had to fix Branford's damage quickly, before the Zoras themselves suffered the same fate.

As he set off up the valley behind the Queen's home, he looked back. Lula was slumped heavily against the arch with Latiro bending over her. He looked up and met Link's eyes. The fear in the young boy's eyes shocked the Hylian. He realised then that the Queen must be suffering just as much as her people, if not more. She was generous and giving, and would never take precious water for herself while her people and her son needed it. Her sacrifice was costing her dearly. If Link didn't restore water to the valley soon, the Queen would get very sick indeed.

-o-

After about an hour of climbing Link reached what he presumed was Zora's Waterfall - except without the water. A steep rock face rose in front of him, covered with the same designs as those on the wall of Lula's throne room. The only problem was how to reach the top, where Link assumed the source would be. Large lumps of rock protruded from the otherwise smooth cliff, but even the lowest was far too high for Link to reach. He was just pondering this when he heard a shout from behind him.

'Link! Hero! Wait for me!' Link grinned. The bobbing figure with the permanently over-excited voice could only be Lati. The boy caught up to Link who saw what had been slowing him down. In his hands he carried a bag filled with large spherical objects. But before Link had a chance to ask him about these or what he was doing at the waterfall Lati had pulled one out. It was blue and organic-looking, with a short cord coming out of it, topped with a small red ball. As Link watched Lati pulled off the red ball, and the blue object immediately began flashing red as the cord smoked. Lati tossed the item towards the rock face then grabbed Link's arm and pulled him behind a nearby rock. A few seconds later there was an explosion from behind them and Link risked peeking over their makeshift shield. There was no sign of the blue ball, but the explosion had dislodged the lumps of rock to make a kind of staircase out of the rubble climbing all the way to the top of the rock face. Link turned to Lati, who beamed.

'That was a bomb!'

 _Gee, I'd never have guessed_ , Link thought to himself.

'I'm not supposed to have them, but when everyone was fussing round Mama I borrowed a few. I thought they'd help you!' Link thanked the boy, who handed him the bag. 'This is a special Bomb Bag! It's the only way to carry bombs safely. You can have it!' Lati exclaimed. 'I think Mama was planning to give this to you this morning, but she was ill so she forgot…' Latiro turned away, unable to meet Link's eyes. Link was at a loss for words, so he settled for smiling sadly and hugging the boy.

'I think I'll go back now. Mama was sleeping when I left, but I want to be there if she wakes up again.' Link watched as the little boy ran back off down the valley, then turned determinedly to the rock in front of him. From the sound of it Lula had gotten much worse. Link needed to fix the problem urgently. He carefully climbed up the pile of rubble and was dismayed at the sight that greeted him at the top. At first he thought it was just more rubble, but a trickle of water from beneath one of the stones told him otherwise. Link couldn't understand how Branford had done this. He might have managed with ten men helping him, but Link didn't think he had that many loyal friends. From the awkward silence from the other guards when he wished he had killed the people of Fallhollow, and the fact that one of his men had deserted in order to warn the villagers, Link suspected most of the Hyrulean soldiers didn't share Branford's sadistic outlook on life. Link also wondered why the man had come so far out of his way specifically to cause pain and suffering for the Zoras. He knew the soldier was psychotic, but even so.

In the meantime, Link had to find a way to clear the rubble. He quickly pulled out his new bomb bag and pulled one out. He popped off the red ball, hurled it at blockage and ran for cover. A few moments later fragments of rock went flying past him as the pile exploded. Link looked and to his joy the rubble was completely gone. But the tiny stream of water issuing from the ground got no wider. Confused, Link examined it but could find no reason for this. Disheartened, he turned back towards the Zoras' home. He had done his best at the waterfall but he didn't understand why the water wasn't flowing. Hating to be the bearer of such terrible news, he set off back down the valley.

-o-

'What?' the Zora asked. 'But… but how could the water not have returned? This must be a mistake!' Link gave up trying to explain. The Queen was 'unavailable', so Link had recounted his discovery to the guards in the throne room, but they didn't want to hear it. He was looking around to find someone else to speak to when Zelda came out of the room behind the Queen's throne.

'She wants to see you,' was all she said. Link had been told that Zelda and Latiro were sitting with the Queen, as she would allow no-one else to see her in her weakened state. Link followed his friend back through the room and down a passage to the Queen's bedroom. He gasped. Lula was lying in a shallow pool of water, but she was obviously suffering terribly. Her skin, formerly blue, was now white and she looked as though she had aged a hundred years in a day.

'Link…' she croaked out. 'Hero… I have heard.' Link looked at the ground. He had seen Latiro by his mother's side, looking at him. The boy didn't want to believe that the Hero, his hero, had failed, but he was having a hard time keeping the accusation from his eyes. Link couldn't look at him. 'Hero… do not lose heart…' the Queen continued faintly. 'I know… what you must do… South of here, in the great Desert Sea, is a temple… For some time now, it has been the source of a terrible curse…' Link looked up at this, remembering what he had heard from Hyra. 'You must go there and… break the curse…' Link nodded and turned to go when the Queen called out weakly: 'Wait! You cannot reach the temple… without this…'

She clasped her hands in front of her and a blue light shone from within them. Link's eyes widened. The light faded and the Queen opened her hands to reveal two identical necklaces each, with a shimmering blue scale.

'These are… Zora scales… they will… let you breathe… in the water as if… you were one of us…' the Queen sighed. The magic had sapped much of her remaining strength. 'Take them and… please, help my people… help my son…' With this the Queen closed her eyes. Latiro cried out and Zelda rushed forward, checking the Queen for signs of life. She sighed in relief.

'Her heart is still beating. But it's faint. We need to go, now.' Link nodded and scooped up one of the necklaces, placing it around his neck. It glowed faintly, but other than that Link felt no different. With one last sorrowful look back at Latiro, who was clasping his mother's still hands, the Hylians left.

-o-

They trudged down the valley in silence. They had been told by the other Zoras that the Desert Sea was at the bottom of the valley; normally, the river emptied into it. It was actually a vast lake, but due to its size it was called a sea. As they left the throne room they had been passed by seemingly every Zora in the queendom, which was frighteningly few. Zelda had wondered aloud if they should stay and offer to help, but they both knew there was nothing they could do. Right now they had to break the curse on the temple, and hopefully they would be in time to save the ailing Queen.

Link examined the scale round his neck. It shone a bright blue, brighter than the normal Zora scales. But Link supposed that being a Queen did give Lula some magical advantages over her people. Eventually they reached a bend in the valley and going round it, were greeted with the great Desert Sea. Link gasped. He had never seen a sea or lake before, as there were only small pools in Faron Woods. But here the water stretched from horizon to horizon. Zelda stared as well, which surprised Link. With all the things they had seen on their travels so far, it was always him who stood gobsmacked while Zelda just took everything in her stride. But clearly the sight of the sea impressed her too.

'You know, if we don't fix this, all this water will be sand in day or so,' Link said, voicing both their thoughts.

'Guess we'd better crack on then,' Zelda replied, wading into the water. When she noticed Link wasn't following she called back, 'What are you waiting for? You want to help the Zoras, right?'

'Yes, but-'

'Then come on! I know this place is massive and we don't have much time and the temple could be anywhere _and_ we don't even know what we're looking for, but the one way we are definitely _not_ going to find this thing is by standing there looking stupid!' Link shrugged, but he couldn't fault her logic. He waded in after her, enjoying the feeling of the refreshingly cool water against his legs. Soon the water became too deep to stand so he swam out a bit, then took a deep breath and dived under the water. It took him a moment to remember that this was futile, and he let the air out with a gasp. The Zora's Scale floated up in front of his eyes, glowing brightly, and he took in a mouthful of water. To his surprise it felt just like thicker air.

While he was adjusting to this Zelda dived down next to him, giving him a thumbs up. He tried to speak, but all that came out were air bubbles. Clearly the Queen's magic didn't extend to speech. He shrugged and swam forward, looking all around him. Zelda swam up next to him and pointed excitedly. He followed her gaze and saw she was pointing to a deep pit in the seabed. In the centre was an enormous stone building, rising up high into the water. As they swam closer Link noticed more details of the place. It looked well-built, with carvings and pillars just as if it was above water. Link wondered what such an intricate piece of architecture was doing on the bottom of a lake. At the base of the building was an opening, with only darkness inside. Link and Zelda looked at each other, nodded, and swam inside.

-o-

A/N: That's it for today folks! I cut it off here because the next chapter is the temple, and I didn't really want to chop that in half.

So what do you think they'll find in the temple? And will they manage to save the Queen? All will be revealed tomorrow! And an familiar face from Skyward Sword will be making an appearance...


	7. Chapter 7: The Desert Sea Temple

A/N: Alright, long chapter time! Actually, I think this is my longest chapter to date! But first a bit of admin. To the wonderful guest who reviewed (yay!): don't worry, I don't expect you to review every chapter! The fact that you took the time to review the story so far means a lot. So thank you.

To the rest of you: this chapter is a temple. Throughout this story there will be several temples - it is the Legend of Zelda after all. These temples are not ones found in the actual games, they came straight from my brain. As such, they may be a bit weird. I've tried to make them as interesting as possible, but I may not have succeeded. And of course, a temple also means a boss, so I've had to get creative on that front. You have been warned.

Right, on with the show!

-o-

The entrance led to a tunnel sloping steeply upwards. Link allowed himself to float to the surface, and emerged in a grand room. The walls were rock, but covered with the Zora drawings from the waterfall and the throne room. The floor was a mosaic of blue stones, again a mark of Zora civilisation. Two large arches led off from the room. But Link's attention was taken up by a huge statue on the opposing wall.

It looked as though it had originally depicted a dragon, powerful and graceful, balancing elegantly on its tail. But the dragon's head had fallen to the floor, and the neck and most of the body were missing, as if destroyed by some great force. An inscription ran round the base of the statue, but a large portion of it had been reduced to rubble. Link squinted at what remained, and made out,

'Lan… ardian… oras… Prote… sert…' Link wondered what it had originally meant. Zelda joined him by the statue.

'I wonder what happened to that thing? From the look of it, this temple was used by the Zoras at some point. Maybe that dragon thing was important to them? I wonder if the "curse" on this place has something to do with whatever destroyed that statue. Well, either way, we should make a start. I suggest we split up. Left tunnel or right?' Link looked at her. He didn't really want to let Zelda go off on her own, but he had to admit she was more than capable of handling herself. Of the two of them, he was more likely to get himself killed. Not a prospect he relished. But he knew it would be easier to explore both halves of the temple simultaneously, so he pointed to the left tunnel.

'Right,' said Zelda. 'See you on the other side.' With that she headed off down the other dimly lit tunnel. Link turned and went down the left one, fervently hoping that he hadn't picked the one with the monster that had destroyed the statue.

-o-

After a few minutes the tunnel stopped with only a pool of water at the end. Link was about to jump in when he spotted something below. It looked like a jellyfish, but it pulsed with electricity. Zelda had warned Link about these: it was a Bari, and underwater it would easily be able to shock Link. He knew he had to get rid of it before he jumped in or he would land right on top of it, but how? He rummaged around in his pouch and brought out his bomb bag. The fuse might go out underwater, but it was the best idea he had. He pulled one out, popped off the red cap and dropped it on the enemy below.

To his surprise it continued fizzing and flashing even underwater, and he leant over the edge as it hit the Bari. Cold water fountained up in his face as the bomb detonated, but when his vision cleared and he looked back he saw all that remained of the Bari was a few severed tentacles which disappeared in a puff of purple smoke as he watched. Satisfied, he jumped in the water and continued down the submerged tunnel, bombs in hand.

Ahead of him floated more Bari and the smaller Biri, but he rolled a bomb towards the clouds of electricity and watched with a certain amount of satisfaction as the tunnel cleared. But as he watched a piece of tentacle, still sparking with electricity, came floating towards him and brushed his cheek. It was small, but the shock still caused Link to cry out, bubbles streaming from his mouth. He glared at the offending tentacle but it had already dissolved into the same purple smoke like the other enemies. A few small blue and green rupees were left behind and he picked them up as payment for his stinging cheek.

At the end of the tunnel was a stream of bubbles, rising up into the water. Link swam towards them and looked up at the tunnel which now led up, but suddenly the current lifted him up and sent him hurtling towards the ceiling. Link panicked, but managed to swim out just before hitting the ceiling of hard rock. As Link floated just below it he noticed large cracks in the rock and took out a bomb. Removing the cap, he placed it in the current which lifted it right up to the rocks as it detonated. Link was caught in the blast and thrown against the wall, hitting his head and making his vision briefly fill with spots.

He shook his head, trying to clear it, and swam up through the now-unblocked tunnel until his head broke the surface of the water. He swam to the edge of the pool and pulled himself up, looking around this new room. He caught sight of a large, ornate treasure chest on a plinth at the centre of the room, when a rumbling sound made him turn around. The pool he had entered by was blocked off by a stone cover, too solid to bomb through.

'Guess I'm not getting out that way,' Link muttered, but then he saw an identical pool on the other side of the room. As he approached a dripping figure hauled themselves out of it, groaning. Link realised it was Zelda and hurried over. She had cuts on her arms and chest, and she was barely conscious. Link was at a loss for what to do when he remembered her pouch. He searched through it and his fingers quickly closed around a red potion bottle. He brought it to Zelda's lips and was relieved to see the cuts fading.

A hand took his and Zelda looked up at Link, now fully recovered. Link smiled, but felt guilty about sending Zelda down the dangerous tunnel. He remembered that she didn't have bombs; her only weapon was a sword which was close to useless underwater. As he helped Zelda up he heard the same rumbling sound as before and they watched as the second pool was sealed off. Link looked around and saw a door in the far wall, but the floor was raised, too high for Link to jump. The only other object left in the room was the chest in the middle, which Zelda was already examining.

Link joined her and together they tried to lift the lid, but it wouldn't budge. Suddenly they heard strange, animal cries from around them. A cloud of purple smoke swirled through the room and dissipated, leaving six Bokoblins. But these were different to the ones Link had seen in Faron Woods. They were covered in armour and their swords crackled with electricity. Link and Zelda took their stances back to back, and prepared to fight.

-o-

Link swung his sword at the nearest one, which dodged and slashed at him with its own sword. Link avoided the attack and parried the Bokoblin's sword with his own, causing a massive jolt of electricity to run down the sword and into his arm. As he groaned in pain he heard Zelda behind him saying,

'Don't touch the swords! They'll electrocute you!'

'You couldn't have told me that thirty seconds ago?' Link shot back. He pulled out a bomb and hurled it at two Bokoblins. It exploded on impact and the two vanished in the same smoke they had appeared in, leaving behind their swords and giving Link an idea. Sheathing his own sword, he picked up one belonging to the fallen monster, and slashed it at a third Bokoblin. It blocked, but instead of the painful electricity coursing down his arm Link felt nothing. Clearly the Bokoblin swords didn't conduct electricity as easily as his own.

He yelled his new strategy to Zelda, who was still battling three enemies of her own. Link swiped at the side of the monster in front of him, then stabbed it through. It convulsed with the pain and the electricity, then vanished in a swirl of smoke. As he watched it Link felt the power in his left hand holding the sword, and he saw his Mark of Farore glowing bright green. Grinning, he ran over to Zelda and immediately dispatched one of the remaining Bokoblins. By this point Zelda had managed to disarm one of the others and was attacking them with their own swords, finally bringing them down. Link noticed her Mark of Nayru glowing as well. They stood there for a moment, trying to catch their breath, then Zelda motioned to the treasure chest.

'I rather think we've earned whatever's in that thing, don't you?' Link smiled and nodded, and they again tried to lift the lid. To Link's surprise this time it lifted easily, revealing four metal objects inside. Link lifted out two of the things, which were surprisingly light, and examined them. They looked like gloves with round ends instead of fingers, just large enough for a hand, with three claws on the end. A thin chain wrapped around it, connecting to the base of the claws.

Link experimentally put his hands in each one, feeling a small lever inside. He pulled it and the claws at the end immediately fired off the device on the chain. Fortunately Link had pointed the thing at the floor so it bounced harmlessly off, but he looked at the things with deep suspicion. Zelda was also looking at the devices, the other two of which she had put on, but her look was one of wonder.

'Link! Do you know what these are?' she asked excitedly. Link was still glaring at the things.

'A very inventive way of taking someone's eye out, most likely my own?' he asked. Zelda gave him a Look.

'Possibly, if _you're_ using them,' Link glared at her, 'but for most people these are Clawshots!' Link looked blank and Zelda sighed theatrically. 'Don't you know anything? These are one of the three sacred gifts granted to the Hero of the Skies by the Goddess Hylia herself!' Link looked perplexed.

'Then what are they doing in a temple at the bottom of a lake? And why are there four? Did the Hero have four arms or something?' Zelda was not impressed.

'I don't know why they're here. No-one knows what happened to the sacred gifts or any of the Hero's equipment after he saved the Goddess in her Hylian form. And I don't know why there are two pairs. Presumably someone made a copy, or maybe the Hero just carried a spare with him? I don't know. The point is, these are really amazing, so stop looking at them like they're going to explode at any moment.'

'Well how do you know they won't?' Link asked. He was deeply sceptical of the supposed power of the Clawshots. But Zelda was already trying them out. Her eye was caught by a section of ceiling above the raised area with the door. She pointed one of her clawshots at it and pulled the lever. Link looked up as his friend shot past him. He looked around and saw Zelda hanging from the ceiling by one of the clawshots. She dropped down lightly onto the platform and sauntered over to the door.

'I get it. If you're too Cucco to use these big scary items, then I guess I'll just have to do this by myself.' She snorted. 'Some Hero you are.' Link scowled, and pointed his own clawshot at the spot in the ceiling. He missed first try, but the second time he felt the claws latch onto the ceiling.

'What am I supposed to do no-' he asked as he suddenly felt the chain retract, pulling him violently up to the ceiling. He spun there for a moment before he remembered to release the lever and dropped heavily down onto the platform. He straightened up and attempted to reclaim some of his dignity while Zelda tried not to laugh. 'What?' he asked her, daring her to comment.

'No-nothing,' she replied. 'You looked very, um, heroic.' This outright lie was too much for her and she burst out laughing. Link glared at her and waited. Eventually she stopped and had the decency to look ashamed.

'Are you quite done?' Link asked, and she nodded. He didn't look at her as he flung open the door angrily and stepped through, straight out onto thin air.

-o-

As he surfaced from the pool of water which had mercifully broken his long fall, Link's mood did not improve when he heard Zelda's laughter from above.

'Brilliant. Just brilliant,' he said to himself as he looked up. 'Could I possibly trouble you to take a moment's break from making fun of me and ask you to get me out?' he asked sarcastically. Zelda shrugged.

'You've got those clawshots, and you've just proven how skilled you are at using them. Get yourself out.' Link scowled. Some help Zelda was turning out to be. Luckily his clawshots had stayed on his wrists when he fell into the water. He spotted a patch of vines at the edge of the pool and clawshotted up to them, pulling himself back up onto the ledge where Zelda was standing. Panting, he said,

'I would like to make one thing very clear. That fall was not, in any whatsoever, remotely funny. Understand?' Zelda couldn't hide her grin.

'Absolutely, o great and powerful Hero. The sight of you falling on your face into a pond is not humorous at all. I don't know what could have given you that idea.' Link glared at her obvious sarcasm.

'Right.' He turned away from her to survey the room they were in. On the other side was a platform with a large door, but it was bound with chains and a golden lock. Between them and the door was the large pool Link had fallen into. There were many tall columns rising from the water with clawshot-points on them, and several smaller platforms at the edges of the room, each with smaller doors.

'You take the left doors, I take the right?' Zelda asked. Link nodded; he counted four small doors in the room, two on each side, and as they had no way of unlocking the big door yet it seemed as though they would have to split up to explore all of them. He clawshotted over to the nearest column, twisting round and using the other clawshot to latch onto a clawshot-point directly over the nearest platform. The door here was locked, but the chains were smaller than those on the big door. But as Link still couldn't open it he clawshotted over to the other platform and went to go through the unlocked door there. He looked over to the other side of the room, but a column blocked his view of Zelda. Sighing, he went through the door.

-o-

The room on the other side was shaped like a vast dome. Peering up to the top Link could make out a platform suspended on chains with a treasure chest on it, but it was too far away for him to reach with the clawshots. The floor of the room was covered shallow water, barely up to Link's ankles. On the other side of the room was a platform with a strange mechanism on it. Link investigated it and found that it was a switch of some kind, with a lever that could be pulled. He didn't know what it did, but he had nothing better to do at that moment, so he tried pulling it. The lever didn't budge. He tried again, pushing from the other direction, but nothing happened. He looked down at the lever, then the clawshots on his wrists, wondering how powerful they were.

'Well, there's one way to find out,' he muttered, latching the claws onto the lever and retracting the chain. He was immediately pulled over. 'Okay, so not like that. Hmm…' Link shot one clawshot into the platform, testing it was secure, then latched the other clawshot onto the lever again and retracted that one without letting go of the platform. To his surprise it worked, and the lever moved smoothly.

For a moment nothing happened, then grates in the walls opened, allowing water to flood in. In seconds Link was floating in the water several feet above the floor. He looked up. Unfortunately, he was still a long way from the platform, so he looked around for some way to flood the room again. The water had raised him to the level of a column reaching down from the ceiling, but broken off a few metres above the water. The broken-off end had a clawshot-point on the end of it. Link swam over and clawshotted up to it, hanging out of the water.

Suddenly the point began to shift downwards under his weight, and the grates in the walls opened again, flooding the room once more. As Link took in his new bearings, he judged that one more flood would raise him to the level of the platform. But as something sharp brushed his leg, he realised that he had bigger problems at that moment. Looking down he saw a swarm of Skullfish which must have come into the room with the water. Link could hear the clacking sound of their bone teeth as they bit, and he instinctively brought his legs up to his body to avoid them.

Thinking quickly, he ran through his options. Sword? No use underwater. Bombs? No time, and the Skullfish would easily be able to avoid it. Running away? Tempting, but where to? There was no dry land in the room. What else? Clawshots? Link had no better ideas, so he gave it a try. Pointing his clawshot at the nearest fish he fired it and heard a satisfying xylophone-like noise as the clawshot split the skeleton into bones. As he retracted the chain Link fired off his other weapon, and repeated this until all that remained of the fish was a few bones sinking to the bottom of the room.

He treaded water for a moment to examine the damage. He had a few bites on his legs, but they weren't too bad. He would just have to get a potion off Zelda later. He looked around for another switch to raise the water level for the final time, but he couldn't see anything. Eventually his gaze fell on a section of cracked rocks halfway up the wall, too high to throw a bomb. Link thought for a moment, then decided to improvise. He prised open the claws of one clawshot and inserted a bomb into it. He popped off the cap, offered up a quick prayer to the Goddesses that he wasn't about to be blown up, and pointed the clawshot at the wall. It exploded on impact and the clawshot smoothly retracted, unscathed. The smoke cleared, revealing a crystal switch.

Link quickly fired off his other clawshot at it and waited as the water rose to the platform. He pulled himself up and examined the treasure chest.

'After all of that, this had better be good,' he said to himself as he opened it. Inside was a single silver rupee, worth one hundred rupees. Link pocketed the jewel, pleased with his find, but at the same time he was disappointed not to have found a key. He also wondered how to get out of the room, as the door underwater he had entered by was not an option.

He glanced up, and saw what looked like a tunnel at the level of the water. Hoping it led back into the main room, Link swam over to it. He pulled himself up and stepped forward, trying to see where it went, when the ground under his foot shifted slightly. He looked down and realised that he had stepped on a switch. He heard a rushing noise behind him and saw a wall of water heading straight for the tunnel. He started to run but was quickly overtaken and carried along by the water. Suddenly he felt air under him as the tunnel ended and he was thrown into more water.

Surfacing, he was relieved to find himself back in the main room, albeit with no idea where to go next. He clawshotted over to a nearby column to get his bearings, and heard a mocking tone below.

'You took your time! Although I must say, it was worth it to see that most graceful of entrances.' Zelda grinned up at her friend. Link scowled and jumped down.

'Well instead of laughing at me you could have found us a way forward!'

'Who says I didn't?' Zelda asked, holding up two small keys. 'I found these in one of the rooms. I take it your efforts were slightly less fruitful?' Link glared at her and snatched away one of the keys. He clawshotted back across to the left side of the room and unlocked the door he had noticed before, while Zelda did the same on her side. Link opened the door and stepped inside.

-o-

The next room was just as large as the domed one before, but instead of being empty it had a stone ramp running around the walls, spiralling up to the ceiling. Looking up Link saw another treasure chest at the top of the ramp and eagerly ran over to the base. He wouldn't let Zelda beat him again. But he had only gone a few metres when he heard a grating noise behind him. He turned, and on the wall which separated this room from the water-filled dome one next door, a grille had opened, allowing water to flood in from the room next door.

In moments, the water was lapping at Link's ankles. This didn't worry him, as with his Zora scale he could just allow the water to carry him to the top if it got too high. But suddenly he heard a different noise, and looking down into the centre of the room he saw a large hole opening in the floor. As he watched the water started to swirl down into the vortex. But the water still flowed in from the next room, raising the level. Link started to run.

He couldn't let the water overtake him now, or he would be sucked down into the whirlpool and be carried off Goddesses knew where. Fortunately with the hole draining it the water was now rising more slowly and Link was soon ahead. But then he heard a now-familiar yell, and an electric Bokoblin appeared in front of him. Link ducked under its attack and circled round to the back, slashing at it. Before it had disappeared in the usual cloud of smoke another cry sounded behind him, and Link fell backwards in an attempt to avoid the slice aimed at his neck. The water lapped round his hands and he got up hurriedly.

Ignoring the danger of hitting the electrified sword Link did a spin attack, managing to knock the Bokoblin down into the water where it was pulled down into the vortex. Link had no time to watch or even put his sword away, but kept running. Two more Bokoblins materialized just in time to meet Link's sword coming the other way. He pulled out his bomb bag as more monsters appeared in his path, dropping a bomb in their midst as he ran through. He didn't turn back to see if it worked, but no-one seemed to be following.

He looked to the side and gasped as he saw that the water was practically reaching him. The end of the ramp ahead looked as though it wasn't getting any closer. He only hoped there was some way of getting out at that end, or his frantic race would have been for nothing. Three Bokoblins appeared, yelling and brandishing their swords, and turned in shock as Link raced past them, not even stopping to attack. But they were quickly swept away in the rising water.

Finally Link was mere metres from his goal when a Bokoblin blocked his path. He tried dodging around to the side, but the monster had better reactions than its friends and slashed Link's ribs. Gasping from the sudden pain and the jolt from the sword, Link tried to slow the blood flow with his hands, but the still-attacking monster in front of him presented the more immediate problem. He narrowed his eyes, grasped his sword, and leapt over the monster's head to slash at it as he jumped. Or at least that was his intention, but the blood on his hands made his sword hard to grasp and it slipped out of his hand in mid-air.

Link stared at his empty hands and stepped back to avoid the Bokoblin's attack. He was now backed up against the wall. He looked around frantically, trying to locate his sword as the monster drew back its arm for the final slash. Link's mind went blank, and instinctively he raised his leg and kicked the monster in the chest, sending it flying back into the water. Link panted with relief, but the water had caught up, rising all the way to his waist. He half-walked, half-swam up the ramp, reaching the treasure chest just as the water rose over his head.

Link clung on to the lid tightly as the whirlpool pulled him down, yanking the lid open. Suddenly the whirlpool vanished and the water sank back down into the hole. Breathing heavily, Link peered over the edge of the ramp. The sudden change in the room seemed permanent. Looking inside the chest at what had saved him Link pulled out a heavy golden key set with a black stone. It matched the large gold lock on the door in the main room, and Link smiled in relief. But his side stung badly where the Bokoblin had caught him, and as he started back down the ramp Link's only thought was to find Zelda.

His legs fell from under him and he began to slide down the ramp at high speed. Link's mind was now fuzzy from blood loss, but he saw a vague, long shape ahead of him and reached out to grab his fallen sword as he shot past. He landed at the bottom with little dignity, but managed to make it through the door into the main room before his strength failed him and his eyes closed.

-o-

They flickered open again at the sound of Zelda's voice, though he couldn't make out what she was saying. She brought a bottle to his lips and as Link sipped the sweet red potion he wondered,

 _How many of these things does she have?_ But he wasn't going to complain. Zelda propped him up against a pillar and as Link recovered he saw how worried she looked.

'Are you okay? When I saw you I thought… but you're okay, right?' Link smiled weakly, touched by her concern. It made a pleasant change from mockery. 'Well, you being safe is the main thing, but I didn't find anything in that last room. I've got no idea how to get through that door over there. Got any ideas?'

'Not really,' said Link, trying to sound despondent. 'I don't know how we're going to do it,' (Zelda looked disappointed) 'except, maybe this will do something?' He held up the key and Zelda looked at him with joy before punching him on the shoulder.

'Alright smartass, if you're so good at this why don't you go through that door first. That way if there is some monster on the other side you can get eaten first to give me a chance to live.' Her earlier regard for his safety was gone, but her sarcasm made Link laugh. He clawshotted from one column to the next, landing on the platform and investigating the door. He put the key in the lock and the chains fell away, leaving the door free. Link looked at Zelda. She gave him a reassuring smile, but he could tell she was nervous too, unsure of what was lurking on the other side of the door. Steeling himself, Link pushed open the giant doors and walked into the dark room beyond.

-o-

The first thing Link noticed was the ceiling. The room was circular, with a narrow stone path round the edge and a round pool of deep water in the middle. Directly above the water was an opening in the ceiling, and above the opening was the Desert Sea. Link watched open-mouthed as a few fish swam across. Link supposed this was at the top of the temple, with the view of the lake directly above, but he couldn't understand how he hadn't seen a hole that big from the outside. He also couldn't understand why the water didn't fall into the chamber; it just hung above, as if held back by some invisible barrier.

Hanging from the edge of the opening were massive spherical rocks, suspended on chains, each with clawshot points on them. There were more clawshot points on the outer wall of the room. Link and Zelda exchanged a look. This room was by far the strangest in the temple. As Link wandered round the path at the edge of the room, looking up in wonder at the lake above, Zelda cautiously looked over the edge of the deep water in the centre of the room, but saw nothing, just a deep pit.

Suddenly a shadow fell across the room as a massive shape blocked out the sun from the lake above. Link gasped as a huge monster swam out of the lake-ceiling, about to land in the pool where his friend was still standing, unaware of the danger from above.

'Zelda! Look out!' Link yelled, but at that moment an almighty splash obscured his view. When the water calmed he could just make out a sodden shape on the other side of the chamber, and Zelda waved at him to show him she was okay. Link sighed in relief which quickly turned to shock as the surface of the water boiled once again and the monster reared up from the pool. Link swallowed hard as a head twice his size glared down at him. It looked like a dragon, but not like the statue in the entrance of the temple. Where that one was refined and graceful, this one looked as though it would quite happily eat the other dragon. It opened its jaw slightly, revealing rows of serrated teeth. Link gulped again. He moved quickly to one side and the head followed him, but from this angle he could see across to Zelda, who had problems of her own. An identical head was facing her.

 _Great_ , Link thought, _just great. I'm still recovering from those Skullfish and Bokoblins, and now I get to face a giant two-headed dragon. Why can't I ever fight something small and fluffy?_ Without warning both heads lunged at the heroes, and Link dived to the side to avoid it. The heads retreated back into the water and Link saw Zelda running towards him.

'Link! What… How do we… What do we do?' Link was too winded to reply, but he felt his Mark of Farore glowing. Suddenly he felt much less apprehensive about facing the dragon.

'There's got to be a way to kill this thing! And yeah, there's two heads, but there's two of us, right?' Zelda looked doubtful, but joined Link at the edge of the water. Below, the dragon spiralled around in its pit, and its roars could be heard even from a distance. Zelda squinted.

'What's that?' Link couldn't see anything at first, but as the dragon circled past them he made out a dark patch on its back, which shone in a strange way.

'I'm not sure. We could try attacking it?' Zelda grinned at him.

'Sounds like a plan. But first, we need to find a way to stun it. I do not want to fight that thing underwater, and I doubt it's going to come on land and hold still while we stab at it. Any ideas?'

'Hmm…' Link said, looking thoughtfully at the rocks hanging from the ceiling. They were about the height of the dragon's heads when it reared up out of the water. 'I may have something. But first we need to get it out of the water.'

'No problems there,' Zelda replied and Link looked up as the dragon rose from the pool once more, both its heads staring straight at the heroes. They took off in opposite directions as the dragon raised its heads to the sky, then spat out twin balls of electricity. The first one aimed at Link barely missed him, and as the dragon prepared to shoot again he quickly clawshotted over to the opposite wall. This confused and angered the head trained on him, and the other one stopped pursuing Zelda to help fry Link instead. Link immediately put his plan into action, signalling Zelda to do the same.

They each attached one clawshot to the wall to stop themselves being pulled over (Link had learnt his lesson from the lever before), and shot the other one into the nearest hanging rock, pulling it back. The dragon's heads both looked perplexed at this strange behaviour, and the one looking at Zelda shot an experimental electricity ball at her. Fortunately, it exploded harmlessly on the rock. The clawshots creaked with the strain and for a horrible moment Link thought they would break, but finally he judged that the rocks were pulled back far enough.

'Now!' he yelled, and he and Zelda simultaneously let go of the rocks. They swung back on their chains, each hitting a head square on. The dragon fell back into the water, but floated on the surface, motionless. After watching for a moment to make sure that the monster was really stunned, Link leapt down onto one of the heads and used the neck as a bridge to reach the shining dark spot. Close to Link could see it was a jewel of some sort, and he pulled out his sword and began to stab away at it. Cracks started appearing in it and Link thought it was almost broken when the monster heaved under him, sending him staggering back. He nearly fell into the water, but managed to keep his balance. One of the heads raised itself out of the water and glowered at him, preparing an electric ball, but as it released the attack it discovered that its quarry was nowhere to be seen.

Link found himself hurtling backwards through the air at high speed, stopping when he was safely back on the path at the edge of the room. He turned round and saw Zelda holding the clawshot she had used to pull him to safety. He smiled his thanks at her but had no time to say anything as the foiled head had relocated him. The second head had also recovered and lunged at the two heroes… or rather the space where the heroes had been, as they quickly clawshotted to opposite sides of the room. Without pausing they repeated their trick and pulled the rocks back.

The confused dragon had just found the two again when the boulders flew into its heads. This time Zelda joined Link as he stabbed away at the jewel, and with their combined efforts it finally shattered. The monster fell still, and Link smiled at Zelda before they were both thrown off balance by the ground shaking beneath them. The shards of the jewel began to move away from the body of the dragon, revealing a single glowing eye, rolling around before catching sight of Link. At the same time whatever force had been holding back the lake above failed, and a torrent of water poured down from above.

The monster beneath Link flipped and dived back down to its pool. When the room calmed Link found that it had completely flooded thanks to the water from above, and looking below him he saw the dragon once again swimming around its chamber. But something was missing. Link looked around frantically but could see no sign of Zelda. He tried yelling her name but underwater this produced just bubbles. He looked below him again and caught sight of a small shape, sinking fast through the dark water. Zelda. Link started to swim to her, but he couldn't understand why she was motionless. Why wasn't she swimming? Just then the answer floated past his eyes. Zelda's Zora Scale. It must have been shaken off her in the chaos, and without it she would drown.

Link grabbed it and swam to her falling shape as fast as he could, the monster forgotten. He reached her just as she hit the bottom of the pit, and he slipped the scale round her neck. It glowed briefly, as it had when she first put it on, but she remained unconscious. Link was at a loss; he had no idea how to resuscitate someone underwater. Suddenly he was knocked away from Zelda by a blow to his side. He hit the wall hard, and turned to see the tail of the dragon which had hit him. He looked at the wound on his side, back down at Zelda, lying on the bottom, and at his glowing green hand. He narrowed his eyes as he looked back at the dragon.

 _Strike three. You're going down._ He extended his clawshot and it latched onto a point between the necks of the two heads. They looked at him in surprise as he shot past them to the eye. He started stabbing at it with all his strength, causing a dark, blood-like liquid to cloud the water. The dragon bucked and writhed in pain, but Link hung on grimly. With one final stab the monster roared, then stopped moving.

-o-

Link allowed himself to float away from the dragon, but he kept his sword in his hand. He had thought the dragon was dead last time. A rushing noise made him look up, and he saw the surface of the water receding towards him. It disappeared into the ground, leaving Link alone with the body of the slain monster. He sheathed his sword, then remembered Zelda. He ran back to her, but to his dismay she wasn't breathing. Remembering something Faru had once done to him when he had fallen in a pond, Link pressed down hard on her chest with both hands, causing Zelda to cough up a lungful of water. She gasped for breath as she sat up, wide-eyed, and Link caught her in his arms as she fell back.

'Link…' she said weakly. He smiled.

'It's okay, Zelda. The dragon's dead, you're alive, it's all okay.' She smiled back, then propped herself up on her elbows.

'Seems like you can actually be useful when you put your mind to it!' Her voice was hoarse but Link was relieved to see her back to normal. Then her eyes widened in shock as she stared past him. Link turned round and drew his sword, as the body of the monster began to move once again. But it didn't look alive. It shook, and as Link watched the shape shrank in size, with blackness streaming off it. The injured eye flew away from the dragon and burst, leaving a heart-shaped object. Link kept watching the remains of the dragon, and suddenly the blackness vanished, leaving behind a yellow shape. Nothing else seemed to be happening so Link and Zelda cautiously investigated the heart-shaped object.

'I think that's a heart container,' Zelda whispered. 'They're said to be able to-' But she was cut off as the heart container suddenly glowed and vanished. At the same time Link and Zelda's wounds healed instantly. '-heal people,' Zelda finished.

Mystery solved, Link approached the yellow remains of the dragon, sword in hand. Suddenly it rose into the air, its back to them, then turned round. Link nearly dropped his sword in surprise. Facing them was the dragon from the ruined statue. It was wearing a yellow robe, with stripes across its chest that intermittently flickered blue. It had what on a Hylian would have been a beard, but it appeared to be made entirely of clouds. Its long tail was also covered in cloud, and Link saw a design on its robe which he recognised as the Mark of Nayru, the same one Zelda had on her hand. The dragon cleared its throat, then addressed the heroes.

'What are a couple youngsters like you doing here? Eh? What's that? A two-headed dragon? No, haven't seen one of those round here.' The Hylians exchanged a glance. This dragon didn't seem to be dangerous, but how to explain his connection to the monster from before? But the dragon saw their look and seemed to understand.

'Ah, I see. I think I may be partly to blame for that beast. You see, a few days ago a man came here to see the Zoras. He came up to the waterfall where I live normally, and used some kind of black magic on me. I don't remember anything after that, except seeing you two.'

Link relaxed and sheathed his sword. It seemed like things were back to normal now, but Branford had had a wider effect than Link had thought. And black magic? What was a simple soldier from the castle doing casting spells on dragons? The dragon in question swirled up towards the ceiling, an impressive sight in all his glory.

'I am the Thunder Dragon Lanayru, Guardian of Lanayru Desert. Also protector of the Zora people.' This triggered Link's memory.

'The Zoras need help! That man made all the water dry up, and now they're dying.' The dragon's face clouded over at this, and he stroked his chin thoughtfully.

'Again, I am to blame. Without my magic the water in this desert can't flow. Still, we'll have to sort that out. Hop on!' Lanayru held out his two huge hands, which Link and Zelda hesitantly climbed onto. Lanayru suddenly rose high into the air, through the ceiling which was now free of the lake. The dragon flew up the side of the former Desert Sea and set the heroes down on the edge. Link heard Zelda gasped as they surveyed the valley before them. The sun was setting, but there was more than enough light to illuminate the sorry state of Zoras Domain.

The Desert Sea had completely dried up, leaving only sand around the temple. The rest of the valley was bare rock, with no water in sight.

'Ahem,' Lanayru announced, pushing back his long sleeves. 'Time to sort this place out.' He raised his hands and closed his eyes, the stripes on his chest now glowing bright blue. The earth shook, and the temple suddenly crumbled as an enormous stream of water fountained from beneath it, shooting high up in the air. A loud noise made Link look the other way, back towards the Zora throne room and Zora's Waterfall, and he saw another fountain emerging from the waterfall. The water rushed downstream in a tidal wave as the fountain on the lakebed filled the Sea again. The two streams met in the middle as the river rose up, filling the gorge once more. But Lanayru wasn't finished.

The pools of water dotted around the valley refilled themselves, and soft grass sprung up under Link's feet. Trees erupted out of the ground in a burst of green. The dragon lowered his hands and turned back to the impressed heroes.

'Pretty neat trick, eh?' Link had to agree. 'Now let's go see about those Zoras.' Link and Zelda started back along the edge of the Desert Sea, towards the mouth of the river, as Lanayru floated alongside them.

'Um… sorry about, you know, attacking you…' Link said, not meeting the Thunder Dragon's eyes, but Lanayru just waved his apology away.

'Don't worry about it. Didn't feel a thing!' Link smiled. Zelda had been silent until now, but she clearly wanted to know something.

'So how did the Zoras end up here? In all the old texts I read they served the Water Dragon in the woods, not the Thunder Dragon in the desert.' The dragon responded,

'When the great Lake Floria in Faron Woods started to dry up the Zoras, or the Parella as they were then, moved elsewhere in search of water. Eventually they came here via underground streams. The Water Dragon, Faron, couldn't come with them, so I took them under my wing instead. I've heard that Lake Floria's back to normal now, but since the Zoras were so happy here they decided to stay.' Zelda nodded. They were now approaching the mouth of the river and Link could make out a crowd of blue figures on the shore of the lake. He and Zelda quickly approached them, and Link saw one figure lying on the ground, with a smaller figure hunched over her. He heard Zelda gasp in shock as they both recognised the Zora on the ground.

Their efforts in the temple had come too late to save Queen Lula.


	8. Chapter 8: A Tale of Tragedies Past

A/N: so... that happened...

-o-

The crowd of Zoras made it difficult to see, and Link tried to push through to Latiro and his mother, but a large hand on his shoulder stopped him. He looked up at its owner, and Lanayru silently shook his head at him. They instead watched from a distance as a group of adult Zoras picked up the body of their Queen and placed her in the water of the Desert Sea, with Latiro following. The adults then left as Latiro pushed his mother further out into the water.

'What are they doing?' Zelda whispered.

'It's an ancient Zora tradition, their version of a burial,' Lanayru replied softly. 'The Zoras live their whole lives swimming in the water, and when they die they are pushed out far into the lake until the currents take them. The Zoras believe that as long as the body is carried in those currents, deep below the water's surface, the spirit of the Zora will never truly fade. It is their idea of an afterlife, the spirits of the fallen Zoras endlessly swimming in the Desert Sea, watching over the live ones in the river and welcoming their brethren when they die. That's why the Sea is so important to them. It isn't just a source of water, it's the source of their beliefs.'

'It's beautiful,' Zelda said. Link agreed, there was something beautiful about the solemn ceremony before them. He watched as Latiro gave his mother one final hug, then pushed her out into the deep water. She continued to float out into the lake, before slowly sinking beneath the surface. As Latiro turned away Link was sure he could see tears shining on the boy's cheeks. A lump formed in Link's throat as he realised that the child would never again have the comfort of his mother's arms. He couldn't help but ask the dragon,

'Could we have saved her? If we were quicker, I mean?' Lanayru slowly shook his head.

'No. The Queen died shortly after you entered the temple. There was no way to save her.'

'No way at all?' Link asked, unable to bear the sight of the grief-stricken Lati. 'Can't you do something? Use your power to bring her back?' Again the Thunder Dragon shook his head.

'When someone dies an honourable death at the end of their time, as Queen Lula did, they cannot be brought back. Resurrection of a mortal being is the one thing the sacred power of the Triforce cannot accomplish.' He looked down at Link, who was staring at the ground. 'But do not worry for her, or her son. She said her goodbyes to him, and thanks to you the Desert Sea was restored. If you hadn't broken the curse on the temple, and on me, the Zoras would never have been able to send her off with the proper ceremony. Trust me, my boy, this is what she would have wanted.'

This did little to comfort Link. A hand took his and he looked up to see Zelda holding it. There were tears at the corners of her eyes as she smiled sadly at him. The crowd of Zoras was fast disappearing as they swam back up the river to their home, but one remained. Latiro looked up and saw his friends, then looked away. Lanayru floated over to the boy and the Hylians followed.

'Latiro, we're so…' Zelda began, but stopped. One look at Lati's face told her that there were no words to comfort the Prince in his grief. There was silence, then the boy spoke.

'Mama said you would come back. She never doubted you, you know. She knew you would succeed, you would save the Zoras. I guess you did, so I congratulate you,' he said in a flat, emotionless voice. The silence continued, deeper than ever. 'She said, when I saw you, I was to tell you not to be sad. This is how she wanted things to be. She's with Papa now, beneath the lake, and I will be King. That's how things are meant to go.' Link couldn't bear to look at the small boy. Lanayru cleared his throat.

'I think you two had better leave. There are other temples in this land with other curses, and other people who need your help. Don't worry about the new King, I will guide him. He will make a fine leader, just as his mother wanted.' Latiro didn't react as the Thunder Dragon clapped a hand on his small shoulder. 'I will use my power to transport you out of the Domain, where your horses are waiting. I would suggest you head north, to the mountains of Eldin where the Gorons live. You will find the next clue there.' With that Lanayru placed his hands together and created a ball of golden light. It enveloped Link and Zelda, and the world around them quickly faded.

The last glimpse Link got was Latiro's face. The new King could hold in his tears no longer and let them pour down his cheeks.

-o-

When the light faded Link found himself outside the ring of mountains around Zoras Domain once again, in the sand of the desert. A welcome sight greeted him: Epona and Rhiannon, waiting for him and Zelda. They mounted their horses and set off, leaving the setting sun behind them. After several minutes of silence, Zelda became concerned. Drawing her horse close to Link, she nudged her friend.

'Link? Are you okay?' He didn't answer her. Zelda was very worried now. He looked like he had when he discovered his village destroyed, if not worse. 'Link?' she tried again. 'Link, say something! I'm worried about you!' Link looked at her and Zelda recoiled, seeing not the cheerful boy she was used to, but a man haunted by his demons.

'What is there to say?' he asked harshly. 'I failed. It's over.'

'It's not over-' Zelda began, but Link halted his horse and rounded on her.

'Oh yeah? Try telling that to Latiro! His mother's gone, he has to rule an entire kingdom by himself and it's all my fault! He called me a hero! The Queen said she knew I wouldn't fail her, but I did! I failed all of them! And now she's dead.'

'Link, you can't save everyone,' Zelda tried to console him, but to no avail.

'Then what's the point? If I can't save even one person, if I can't stop one little boy becoming an orphan, then what kind of hero am I? I'm supposed to be good at this!' Zelda was silent, but Link didn't notice as he continued. 'She died, and there was nothing I could do. Do you have any idea how horrible that is, being powerless, being responsible for someone else's death because _you weren't good enough_?'

'Yes,' Zelda whispered, and Link stopped immediately when he heard her tone. To his shock he saw that she was crying. 'Link, can I tell you a story?' He nodded. 'It's about a little girl, a really stupid, weak, cowardly little girl. This girl had no parents, she was totally alone in the world with no-one to protect her. She was terribly lonely. Then one day she found some people who befriended her, and let her live with them in their home, and took care of her. They became her new family, and she was never scared or sad or lonely as long as she had them.

She loved her new home too. It was beautiful, with huge rooms, and the little girl loved to explore them all day. Her friends said that was fine, she could do whatever she wanted, but there was one room she must never go into. She listened to them for years, but one day she got bored and wondered what was inside the hidden room. She went in, and saw an amazing treasure. She was about to touch it when her friends found her. They took her away and locked the room and told her that she must never, ever go near that treasure again. She asked why, and they told her that an ancient evil was locked away in the treasure, and if she touched it the evil would escape. The little girl understood and was very ashamed at the danger she had put her friends in.

For a long time after that things went back to normal, and the girl and her friends were very happy. But the girl started having dreams, terrible dreams of dark clouds which filled her mind, and all she could hear was her friends screaming at her to stop. These dreams scared the little girl very much, but even worse was when her friends started getting sick. They seemed fine at first, but little by little they started to fade away, until they were as insubstantial as shadows. They had no joy in life any more, and the girl had no joy watching them suffer. She was afraid for them, and she thought that the sickness was her nightmares coming true.

But one day she heard a voice from the forbidden room, telling her that it could help her, it could save her friends, if only she came to it. At first the girl didn't listen, because she was afraid of the evil being in the treasure, but eventually her friends got so sick that she had no other option. She went into the room one night, when her friends were asleep, and reached out to touch the treasure.

Immediately the evil was released, and it laughed at the stupid little girl. It showed her how it had tricked her, how illness her friends had was just an illusion, they had been perfectly healthy, the sickness was just in the girl's head. It was all a trick, to get the weak little girl to free the evil being, and now it was free it destroyed the girl's home and killed her friends in front of her. The last thing the girl heard was her friends screaming at her to stop, and she realised that her nightmares had foretold not the sickness, but the girl herself releasing the evil.

The girl knew she should fight the evil being, force it back into its prison, but she was too weak and cowardly. She ran away and tried to forget about the evil and her friends, but after a while she began to hear stories from faraway places in the land, about all the suffering the evil was causing. The girl couldn't live with herself, knowing that it was all her fault, so she avoided all people she saw, and lived alone as she had before her friends had found her, and she became very lonely again.

But every time she closed her eyes at night she saw her friends, dying, and she heard their screams echoing in her ears. And that's what happened to the little girl who was too stupid to see that she was being tricked, and too weak to fight the evil she unleashed. So yes, I know exactly how you feel. And I know this isn't going to help, but trust me, that pain, that guilt you're feeling now? You're going to feel that way for a long time. And it will never stop hurting.'

-o-

Zelda finished and looked away from Link, who was staring at her, open-mouthed, too shocked by her story to remember his own anger. He turned away and focused on the ground in front of Epona's hooves while he processed what Zelda had said.

He guessed that the little girl in the story was Zelda herself, but he had no idea what the rest of it meant. Had Zelda somehow been responsible for the deaths of her friends? It sounded that way, but Link didn't understand how someone as smart as Zelda could be tricked, or how someone with her courage and fighting skills could fail to defeat her enemy. A small piece of the story clicked into place in Link's brain, and he thought about the 'evil being'. He remembered when he first met Zelda and told her about his quest, she had said, 'You know about that? About that evil being?'. When he pressed her she had said, 'I can't go through that again.'

He had wondered at the time what ordeal she was referring to, but now it made sense. Link didn't blame her for wanting to forget about the traumatic events she had suffered through. Mara's vague allusions to Zelda's friends, and how she never mentioned them in the present tense, also made sense. Link felt ashamed of himself for taking his anger out on her. He had assumed that he was the only one suffering, both now and when Fallhollow had been burnt, but all that time she had been carrying a painful burden of her own.

'I'm sorry,' he said, realising even as he said them how inadequate the words sounded.

'Save it, Link,' Zelda replied, still not looking at him. Link raised his head, and saw tears running down her cheeks. 'It's not your fault my friends are dead, it's mine. Just promise me something.' Link looked at her, eager to do anything that would heal the rift growing between them. 'Promise me that you'll remember that you're not the only one in this world who's suffering. I know it feels like that. When you get hurt, when you lose someone, it feels like you're the only person who's ever suffered anything like that, but you're not. You, me, Latiro, we're all hurting right now. So just remember that, okay?' Link nodded, humbled.

They continued on in silence for a long time, until they reached the edge of the desert. A small stream ran here, and Link dismounted to allow Epona to drink. A few trees stood a short distance away, and Link went to set up camp. It was the middle of the night, and they were all exhausted from their day. After a while Zelda joined him, having gathered wood for a fire. They sat in silence for a while, soaking up the heat. They were out of the desert now, but the night was still bitterly cold and eventually Zelda was forced to shift closer to Link for warmth.

But despite the physical proximity, Link could still feel the impenetrable wall between them. He sighed. What he wanted more than anything right now was for Zelda to forgive him, but he knew that wasn't going to happen any time soon. After a while he felt her shaking next to him, and looking down he saw that she was crying again, her tears reflecting the light from the fire. Link was surprised and at a loss for what to do, but he knew he should try something to comfort Zelda. He wrapped his arms round her and hugged her close to him.

Immediately Zelda responded, burying her face in Link's shoulder and sobbing. They stayed like that for a long time, and eventually Zelda fell silent, presumably asleep. Link didn't move, not wanting to wake her, and also enjoying their closeness. He was wondering if this counted as forgiveness when Zelda spoke.

'You know something, Link?' Link looked down at her, surprised that she was still awake. 'Every night since my friends died I've seen their faces in my sleep. But about a week ago, that changed. When I saw you, it was like the dark clouds that have been hanging over me for years lifted, and for the first time in years I didn't dream about my friends. I don't know why, but it's like the Queen said. There's something about you. Not your Mark of Farore, something else. And I know you don't feel this way now, after what happened, but you are going to make a really great hero. You already are a Hero. You said you couldn't save anyone, but you did. You saved me.'

Link was stunned. He was trying to find a reply, but as Zelda's breathing deepened he realised he was wasting his time, she was already asleep. But as he closed his eyes that night, his anger and sorrow was gone. It was replaced with a warm glow inside him which had nothing to do with the fire and everything to do with the sleeping girl in his arms.

-o-

Link woke up the next morning in the grey light of dawn. Zelda was already awake, tending to the horses. She looked over at Link briefly as he sat up, but quickly turned away. Link guessed she didn't want to talk about what she had said the night before, but at least she didn't seem angry anymore. They saddled up their steeds and set off to the north, towards the looming shapes of the Eldin Mountains.

They had wordlessly agreed that they would be avoiding Lanayru Village, but Link wasn't sure the mountains would be much better. They were on the other side of Hyrule to Faron Woods, and before a few days ago he had never seen them, much less contemplated what might be there. He tried asking Zelda about the Gorons who supposedly lived there.

'I don't know much,' she admitted, but Link was relieved that she seemed as calm as always. 'All I know is that originally they were scholars, travelling the land in search of knowledge, but when the Hylians returned to Hyrule from the sky they took over, and the Gorons found themselves less and less welcome. Eventually, according to rumour, they settled in those mountains. They're volcanic, and the Gorons are impervious to heat and made of solid rock which is also their favourite food. It's the perfect place for people like them, but I do feel sad that we pushed them out of the rest of Hyrule.' Link nodded. He agreed, but his main worry was that the Gorons would carry an ancestral chip in their rocky shoulders.

'What do think we'll do when we get there?' Zelda asked, surprising Link.

'Why are you asking me? You're supposed to be the smart one!' he replied. Zelda looked at him with a trace of her old smile.

'Well, you're the Hero, aren't you? So start acting heroic!' Link sighed.

'I'm hoping it'll be like it was with the Zoras. Well, not exactly the same, obviously. I'm hoping the Gorons aren't about to die. But in the desert it was pretty clear what we had to do when we got there, so hopefully it'll be the same here,' Link finished, hoping this would pass muster. It didn't.

'You have no idea what you're doing, do you?' Zelda asked with a grin. 'Don't worry. A lot of the old texts make it seem like the Hero of the Skies mostly made it up as he went along too. It seems to be something of a tradition among you heroes.' Link smiled, then looked at Zelda, trotting slowly on Rhiannon, then down at Epona, who tossed her head and whinnied. Link's smile widened. Yet again the loyal mare seemed to be able to read her master's mind. Link urged Epona into a gallop, surprising Zelda who raced after him.

'Link! What are you doing?' she yelled.

'Having a bit of fun for once!' Link yelled back. He heard Zelda's laugh and the two of them galloped off towards the mountains.


	9. Chapter 9: The Volcano Temple

A/N: Phew! Another day, another chapter. Sorry the last one was so short, life has been very hectic and I didn't have time to post more. But today's chapter is longer, and it's about temple 2 of... more than 2. Enjoy!

-o-

The sun was high in the sky by the time they reached the lower slopes of Eldin. They had decided to leave their horses a while back, in a green field, as a volcano was hardly suitable terrain for a horse. Anyway, with Mara's flute Link could always call Epona to him. Link looked around him as they walked. The mountains were vast, and Link asked,

'How are we going to find the Gorons?' Zelda shrugged.

'They could be anywhere. I suggest we keep going, and maybe we'll find something.' As they trekked up the steep slope the ground beneath them began to shake. Link drew his sword but then dived to the side as a ball of rock rolled past them, nearly flattening Link. He looked at Zelda, but she was as stunned as he was. Link slowly put his sword away and they continued up the slope. The ground soon began to rumble again, and this time three balls shot past in quick succession. When the last one had gone past the heroes wasted no time but sprinted up the slope before another one came. Eventually they reached a large flat arena and paused to catch their breath.

'What… were those things?' Link asked.

'Gorons?' Zelda wondered. 'Whatever they were, they didn't look happy to see us.' At that moment another ball came rolling towards them, but it stopped in front of them. More balls came rolling down from the slopes around the arena, encircling the Hylians. The one in front of them stood up and kept going, towering over Link. It was Hylianoid, but much heavier-set, with tough orange-yellow skin and white markings. It had what looked like a tuft of grey hair on its head, except that the hair seemed to be made entirely of rock.

'Well, we found the Gorons,' Link said, reaching for his sword, but Zelda stopped him.

'It's not going to help,' she whispered. 'Your sword would shatter. Our best chance is to not look like a threat.' But the Gorons seemed to already have made up their mind about this. The other Gorons stood up and the circle tightened, trapping the Hylians. The lead Goron spoke.

'Get rid of them.' The others rolled back into balls and prepared to flatten Link and Zelda when she spoke.

'Wait! We're not here to cause trouble! We need your help.' The Goron looked suspicious, a great feat for someone whose face was made of rock. But he held up a hand and the other Gorons stopped. Zelda sighed with relief and continued.

'We need to find a temple here. Can you help us?'

'Why should we help you? What do you want with our temple? Haven't you done enough damage already?' Zelda frowned, but Link understood. It seemed Branford was working just as hard to poison Hylian-Goron relations as he was to kill the Zoras. He guessed that the Goron (who did not look to be blessed with much intelligence) had mistaken them for the soldier.

'We know who you mean, but we're not friends of his. We're trying to undo the damage he did.' The Goron narrowed his eyes, but came to a decision.

'Follow.' Link and Zelda obeyed, not having much of a choice as the other Gorons rolled along behind them. They continued up the slope until they reached another flat area, this time with holes in the walls of the mountains surrounding them. The biggest of these was directly ahead, and the Hylians were stopped in front of it. A Goron emerged, much bigger and stronger-looking than the others. The lead Goron from before conversed rapidly with the new one, in what Link assumed was their own language. It sounded like someone chewing on a mouthful of gravel. The new Goron nodded, and went back into the cave. The lead Goron turned to the Hylians.

'Elder. Go in.' With that he and the other Gorons retreated, some back into other caves, some staying outside like guards. Link and Zelda hesitantly went inside the cave of the Elder. Inside it took Link's eyes a moment to adjust to the gloom, as the cave was lit only by torches. The Goron Elder stood in the centre, eying up the Hylians carefully.

'So,' he said, and Link could feel the ground rumbling as he spoke. 'My men say you are here to help us. Prove it.' Link stared at him open-mouthed, but the Elder continued. 'The soldier from the castle, you are against him, yes? You hate him?'

'Absolutely,' Link managed.

'Come on, where's your fire, boy? Do you hate that man or not?' Link was still in shock, but he realised that as a race of rocks the Gorons didn't do subtlety. He also realised that the Elder was testing him. Remembering what Branford had done to Queen Lula he said,

'If he was here right now I would quite happily run him through with my sword,' he said. Zelda looked at him, surprised at his violence. The Elder pondered for a moment, then his face broke into a wide grin.

'Then it seems we have a common goal. I am Darion, the Goron Elder.'

'I'm Link and this is Zelda. What did Branford – I mean, that soldier, do?' Darion sighed deeply.

'Come with me.' He turned round and headed out of an opening in the other side of the cave he had been blocking before. On the other side was a steep path leading to an enormous mountain. But as Link watched he saw that it was not an ordinary mountain. The ground shook once again, more powerfully than it had when the Gorons were approaching, and suddenly flaming rocks rained down from above as the volcano spewed them out. Link and Zelda ran back to the safety of the cave, but Darion seemed unperturbed. Link supposed that to a walking rock a volcanic eruption didn't pose too much of a threat.

'That is Eldin Volcano,' he said, although Link could barely hear him over the noise of the rocks crashing to earth. 'Normally it erupts only infrequently, and Eldin quickly gets it under control again. But ever since that Hylian man came it has erupted without pause, and Eldin has done nothing to stop it. I worry that the man may have done something to our protector.'

'Eldin?' Link asked.

'The Fire Dragon. He dwells in that volcano, and protects both these mountains and my people. If something has happened to him, it would be a disaster.' Link sighed. He could see where this was going. He just hoped he wouldn't have to fight the Fire Dragon.

'So why can't you go into the volcano to see what's going on? Aren't you made of rock?' Link asked.

'Yes, but we're not invulnerable. And anyway, that volcano is too dangerous. It contains an ancient temple, with puzzles and traps that my people could never overcome. You've seen them. When it comes to rolling over things there's no-one better than a Goron, but we're not the smartest. We would never make it to the chamber where the Fire Dragon sleeps.' Link looked at Zelda and rolled his eyes. She gestured to Darion and mouthed,

'Go on!' Link sighed.

'How about me and Zelda go into the volcano and see if we can find Eldin?' Darion turned to Link and smiled.

'You know, I was hoping you might offer to do that!' Link rolled his eyes again. Subtlety really wasn't a Goron strong point.

'Guess we'd better get going then,' he said. Darion nodded and stood to the side, but then remembered something. He headed back into the cave and came back bearing two metal objects.

'Here. These shields are treasured by our tribe. We believe they were a gift to the first Elder many centuries ago, from the Hero of the Skies. But we can't use them, and I think they would help you.' Link and Zelda each took one of the shields. They were dark blue, with a golden Triforce and a red bird on them. Link strapped the Hylian Shield on his back and thanked Darion. He and Zelda then sprinted up the sloped path, dodging the rocks as they fell. Fortunately, the path wasn't too long, and soon they stood in front of a large fissure in the side of the Volcano Temple. Even from the outside Link could feel the heat emanating from within.

With one last look back at Darion, watching them from below, they went inside.

-o-

Link had thought it was hot outside, but inside the volcano the heat made his eyes water. They were standing on a small outcrop of rock protruding from the wall of the volcano. Below them a large pool of lava bubbled and spat. Across from Link, on the other wall, was another platform with a large door on it, chained and locked in a similar way to the door in the Desert Sea Temple. There was no way to reach it however, short of swimming across the lake of fire, and Link wasn't in a hurry to try that.

In the roof of the chamber hung a stalactite, with a crystal switch embedded in the tip. Link searched around the platform and found a small rock which he threw at the switch, but it was too far away. He shrugged at Zelda who gestured to a narrow path leading off from their platform to a door in the wall. Link took one final look round the room. He could see other platforms, much higher up in the walls, but there was no way to get up to them, so he followed Zelda down the path to the door.

As they were about to reach it, a huge roar echoed through the temple, shaking the walls. Link looked around for the source, but the sound had come from somewhere below and Link couldn't see it. He cautiously went through the door, hoping not to meet the owner of the roar. Whatever it was, it sounded very angry.

-o-

As Zelda followed Link through, the door closed behind them and bars slid out of the wall, blocking the exit. Link drew his sword and raised his new shield, ready to fight off any traps in the sealed room. A few torches on the walls provided the only light, and suddenly they went out. Link was plunged into blackness, when he heard the sounds of many moving bodies in the room, along with strange garbled yells. Something tugged at his sword, and he pulled back, but the mysterious figure was too strong and yanked it out his hand. Another unseen figure tried to pull his shield, while more mobbed Link from behind, pushing him to the ground.

In the hidden commotion a sound rang out: a scream, which sounded like Zelda. Link yelled her name and tried to get up but the room was filled with their unseen enemies, and he was quickly pushed back down. Just as suddenly as it had appeared the hissing noises stopped, and the torches flickered back into life. Link looked around frantically, but he could see no sign of Zelda. His sword had been taken too, but he had managed to hang on to his shield. The door he had come in by was still sealed, but he noticed another, unblocked one behind him. Assuming that Zelda had been taken that way, he hurried through.

He found himself in another cavern, with more lava below. A rickety wooden bridge connected the platform Link was on to the door on the other side of the room. There was still no sign of Zelda or the invisible enemies, but a lizard-like monster with an arm guard and spiked tail was pacing back and forth along the bridge. It made an unintelligible noise as it walked, reminding Link of the unseen monsters from before. He realised with a shock that this was likely one of the monsters which had taken Zelda. He narrowed his eyes, and shrank back into the shadow of the door to avoid being seen while he pondered what to do.

He recognised the Lizalfos from Zelda's description, when she had told him about the likely threats they would face in the temple, and she had told him that they were fierce and agile fighters. Normally Link wouldn't be fazed by this, but without his sword his options were severely limited. All he had were bombs and clawshots.

 _Hmm…_ Link thought. _Clawshots…_ He remembered his first impression, that they could do serious damage in the wrong hands (his hands, for instance), but right now the idea of having three sharp claws on a chain didn't seem so bad.

He put the clawshots on his wrists and fired one of them at the Lizalfos when it faced away from him. He missed slightly, only throwing the monster off balance rather than injuring it, but as it staggered it fell over the rope at the edge of the bridge into the lava below.

 _Nasty way to go_ , Link thought, but then he remembered that the Lizalfos might have been one of the monsters who took Zelda. Thinking about his friend spurred Link into action and he jogged along the bridge to the door on the other side. Halfway across the bridge started to swing as the ground rumbled. Link remembered that the volcano was still erupting and he looked down at the lava below. Luckily, it didn't look very active.

The bridge was settling down when another loud roar shook the cavern, knocking several stalactites down from above. One came crashing down over Link, who sprinted to the rocky platform on the other side of the bridge. A second later it landed right where he had just been standing, breaking the bridge in two. Link sighed wearily.

 _For once it would be nice if I could go five seconds without something trying to kill me_ , he thought. He turned and went through the door.

The next room had several pools of lava on the level of the floor, and two doors leading off it. One was barred shut and the other was locked. As Link stepped forward away from the door, something leapt out of a pool of lava to his left, hissing, and knocked him over, singeing him as it went. By the time Link had scrambled to his feet and was looking around for the thing, it had disappeared back into another lava pool. He heard the hissing noise again, behind him, and hurriedly stepped away from it. What emerged from the pool was a skull, covered in flames. A Red Bubble.

It bit the air as it leapt and landed by Link's feet. He hesitantly pointed his clawshot at the Bubble as it leapt again, but he managed to shoot at it before the monster hit him. It vanished into a cloud of purple smoke, but Link immediately heard another hissing noise from the central pool of lava. Another Red Bubble shot out, but Link was prepared this time and smoothly backflipped away from the enemy. He shot at it with his clawshot and pointed the other one at a second Bubble which had just emerged. He continued this for a few more minutes until the hissing noises stopped and the room was filled with the purple smoke.

When it cleared he saw something emerging from the central lava pool: a platform, which looked as though it could be pressed down. Without thinking Link leapt onto it and it clicked down, but kept going, beneath the lava. Quickly Link raised his clawshot above his head and shot, hoping it would catch something. To his relief it did, and seconds later he was spinning slowly above the lava pool. There was a metallic noise, and the bars over one of the doors lifted from the switch.

Link grinned and was about to let go when he realised that he would drop down straight into the lava he had just avoided. Instead, he thought for a moment, then slowly let out more chain so that he was hanging lower. He then swung back and forth on the chain, until he was clear of the pit, and let go. He landed further back than he had expected, and flailed for a moment on the edge of the lava, then regained his balance. 'Phew!' he said aloud, then went through the next door.

-o-

This room was circular, with a large portion of cracked rocks in the centre of the floor. Link was just investigating this when purple smoke swirled around him. It cleared to reveal four Lizalfos. He shot at one with his clawshot, but only succeeded in pulling it towards him. It spun and swiped at his head with the spiked ball on the end of its tail but Link ducked, meaning that the ball instead hit the Lizalfos which was coming up behind Link, killing it.

 _Fierce and agile, yes. Smart, no_ , Link thought and he grinned, but stopped when he saw the three remaining Lizalfos coming towards him, uttering low growls. Link's gaze fell on the cracked rocks behind the Lizalfos and he suddenly had an idea. Somersaulting over the monsters he landed on the rocks and quickly pulled out a bomb, popping the cap and dropping it on the rocks. The Lizalfos circled round him, preparing to strike. Link hoped he had got the timing right. The fuse on the bomb would only last a few seconds, but as it reached the explosive the Lizalfos moved forward and swung at him, while Link backflipped off the rocks away from the bomb.

It exploded, injuring all three monsters and knocking one to the ground, but though the rocks shifted they didn't break. Link's eyes widened as the monsters turned on him yet again. Even worse, the one on the ground was not dead as Link had hoped, but got back up and joined its friends. But the combined weight of the three monsters was too much, and as the third one stepped on the rocks they gave way, sending all three Lizalfos tumbling down into the hole.

Link ran over, but as he reached the hole a grating closed over it, leaving Link only a small gap to see and hear what had become of the enemies. From the sound of it they were still angry, as he heard their strange growls from below. But suddenly they became higher in pitch as he heard something else – the unmistakeable sound of a sword hitting monster flesh. Link could only catch a small glimpse through the grating, but he saw the three green monsters and something gold in the middle. In moments the golden figure had dispatched all three Lizalfos, and put their sword away. Link gasped; he recognised it as Zelda's sword, and realised that the 'gold' was actually her hair.

'Zelda!' he yelled, and she looked up. Link was relieved to see that she was still alive and fighting, but she had several deep cuts, presumably from when she was captured.

'Link! You're alright!' Link smiled in relief as Zelda asked, 'Was it you who dropped those things on me just now?'

'Er, it might have been…' Link said, but with a sturdy grating between him and Zelda he felt reasonably safe from her anger. 'Are you okay? What happened?' he asked, trying to divert the conversation.

'When the room went dark some monsters grabbed me and knocked me out. When I woke up I was in this place,' Zelda yelled back. 'I think I can find a way out, though.'

'Have you got my sword?' Link asked, although it wouldn't be much use to him if she did have it. Zelda looked confused.

'No. Did they take that as well?' Link nodded. 'Well, I'll keep my eyes open. It looks like neither of us can reach the other one right now, so we should probably just go forward as far as we can, hopefully we'll meet up somewhere along the way.' Link agreed, and watched as Zelda moved away from the space he could see through the hole. As he straightened up he saw a cloud of dust on the other side of the room, and when it cleared it revealed a small treasure chest. Inside Link found a small key, just the size to fit the lock on the door in the room before. With one last look back at the grating, Link returned to the other room.

-o-

He unlocked the other door and looked around the room beyond. It was empty except for a square block in the centre. As he approached, the top of the block burst into flames, which gradually formed into a Hylianoid figure, made entirely of fire. Link squinted, and made out the black core of the figure, the only part not made of flames. He remembered Zelda telling him about this: a Flare Dancer, one of the rarer but more dangerous enemies in the area. She had told him that it was invulnerable save for its core, and even that couldn't be damaged as long as it was in the flames.

The Flare Dancer leapt gracefully off its platform and began to pirouette, throwing off smaller flames as it did so. Link pulled out his clawshot and grabbed the core, extinguishing the flames. The core immediately sprouted legs and began to run around the platform away from Link, but he met it coming the other way and shot the clawshots into it, damaging it. It jumped back into the ring of fire on the platform and emerged in flames once more, spinning faster, but Link repeated his attack and after a few more shots the core lay still.

Suddenly it exploded into dark smoke, and a dust cloud formed over the platform as it had before. Again it cleared to reveal a treasure chest, but this one was far more ornate than the one holding the small key. Link climbed up onto the platform to open it, but it began to shake under his feet and rise into the air. Looking up Link saw a square hole in the ceiling that the platform rose through, but he was dismayed when he saw the new room. Five Lizalfos surrounded him, and when they caught sight of him they raised their arm guards and swung their tails in excitement.

Link decided that these were probably the ones who had taken Zelda and his sword, and knowing his friend was okay did nothing to soothe his anger. Unfortunately, without his sword it looked as though Link would be the one getting hurt. He turned desperately to the treasure chest, hoping it had something he could use as a weapon in it. With just bombs and clawshots he knew he would never take out five Lizalfos.

Inside the chest was a quiver full of arrows, and beside it, a well-crafted bow. Link grinned as he strapped the quiver on his back and put an arrow to the bow.

 _Looks like this is going to be more fun than I thought_ , he thought to himself. Turning to the nearest monster he quickly put an arrow through its chest, making it explode into dark smoke. Two more arrows followed, taking down the next two Lizalfos. The remaining two looked at each other in confusion.

'You weren't expecting that, were you?' Link asked as he shot them down. When he was alone, Link looked down at his new weapon in admiration. It was in very good condition, as if it hadn't been used before, but he wondered what such a fine - and wooden - bow was doing locked away inside a fiery volcano. He shrugged, deciding not to complain, and headed for the only door in the room.

It took him out into a huge cavern, far bigger than the entrance room. Far below more lava bubbled, and a long narrow path, barely wide enough for a person, ran down the centre. At the far end was a platform with an ornate treasure chest on it. Rocky crags lined the walls of the room. Link was about to start down the path when another roar made the ground shake. The rumbling subsided, but suddenly the crags around the walls swirled with purple smoke. Bokoblins appeared, perching on the crags. At first Link wasn't worried; after all, there was no way they could get to him from the rocks. But then he saw that the Bokoblins carried bows and quivers, like him. They would easily be able to injure Link and knock him from the path.

'Unless I get them first,' Link whispered to himself, raising his bow. He shot out the ones he could see from his point of safety by the door, but then had to reveal himself to reach the better-hidden Bokoblins. They started up a chorus of yells, and soon Link had to run back to cover. Fortunately for him, what these Bokoblins had gained in weaponry they lacked in brains, and once he was out of sight they quickly forgot about him, going back to patrolling their rocks.

Link cautiously inched forward, taking out a few more before retreating. He knew he wouldn't be able to shoot many more Bokoblins without getting shot at himself; the remaining ones were too far away, and hitting them would mean getting too far from cover. But if there was a way to kill several at once… As he poked his head out, an arrow nearly caught him, but he saw what he was looking for. A stalactite was hanging above the rock with the most Bokoblins on it, and it looked loose. If he could hit it hard enough, Link thought it would take out most of the archers. But an arrow alone wouldn't do it. Link thought for a moment, then inspiration struck.

He pulled out a bomb from his bag and stuck it on the end of an arrow. He aimed carefully, then let the bomb arrow fly, straight at the weak point of the stalactite. It exploded as it hit, sending the rock down and knocking the crag the Bokoblins were standing on into the lava below. As the remaining Bokoblins on the other wall stared Link took the opportunity to shoot them with normal arrows, finally clearing the room.

He started down the narrow path and made it halfway when another roar shook the ground. The rocky path beneath Link's feet began to crumble, and he dived for the safety of the platform just as the ground gave way. Link managed to grab the edge of the platform with one hand, but made the mistake of looking down at the boiling lava, far below. A momentary flash of fear made his grip loosen, but he steeled himself and grabbed on with his other hand, managing to pull himself up.

He paused for breath, then opened the treasure chest. Inside was a large key made of volcanic rock, set with a black stone: the Boss Key. Link smiled grimly to himself. Now all he had to do was find a way out of this room, get back to the main chamber, somehow get across the lava to the boss door, fight off whatever was waiting on the other side, retrieve his sword and save Zelda. Easy.

Looking around for another exit, Link caught sight of a tunnel high up in the wall, with vines hanging out of it. Clawshotting up to them Link followed the tunnel round, until it came out on a platform high up in the wall of the main room with the boss door.

'Two jobs down, four to go,' Link muttered. From his vantage point he had a clear view of the crystal switch he had seen earlier, with Zelda. He hadn't been able to reach it before with the rock, but with his new bow he hit it easily. The ground shook again, another roar echoing. Link frowned. Was it his imagination, or were the roars getting more frequent? It sounded like whatever was making them was getting angrier, and it hadn't been happy to start with.

Looking down Link saw the lava below him boiling as if something was beneath it. As he watched a stone bridge rose out of the pool, molten rock dripping off it. The bridge led directly from the entrance of the volcano to the boss door, which Link headed towards as he jumped down onto the bridge. He unlocked the golden chains and paused before entering. He wondered where Zelda was. He had hoped they would reunite before this, to face the boss together, but it looked like he was going to have to do this alone. Taking a deep breath, he pushed opened the doors and went into the boss chamber.

-o-

Inside, the room was dark. The floor was a grating, similar to the one Link had seen Zelda through, but this one was bigger, with large holes several feet across scattered across the ground. Lava boiled below. Link knew if he fell into one of the big holes it would not end well for him. At the other end of the room was an enormous spherical object, which looked as though it was made of some kind of dark stone. Link cautiously approached it, constantly alert for the arrival of a boss.

Suddenly he lost his balance as the grating floor shook violently. A deafening roar rang out from below, far louder than the ones Link had hear before. He rushed over to the nearest hole, and through it he saw a red shape rising from the lava below. It looked like a dragon, reminding Link of Lanayru the Thunder Dragon, and he wondered if this was the Fire Dragon Eldin that Darion had talked about.

But the dragon looked furious, and kept rising towards the hole Link was next to. It opened its mouth and Link saw fire building in its throat. Realising it wasn't friendly, he ran from the hole just as a stream of fire ripped through the floor where he had been standing. It tracked along the ground through the grating to the massive stone ball, which emitted an ear-shattering shriek and uncurled. Link gasped as a centipede-like creature reared up, angered by the dragon's flame. It was three times Link's height, and it stared down at him with glowing red eyes. Its mandibles clicked, and Link gulped as he realised the monster could swallow him whole. Then his eyes narrowed as he felt the familiar warmth in his left hand. He wasn't going to give it the chance.

The centipede fell back onto the floor, then headed straight for Link. It was deceptively fast, and Link had to run to stay ahead of it. Every so often as he passed by a hole in the floor a stream of fire would erupt from Eldin below. One of these caught the monster on its side as it passed, causing it to shriek in pain and rear up. Link turned and saw that when it reared it exposed its soft underbelly. But before he could take advantage of this it was back on the ground and chasing him again.

But seeing its reaction to fire gave Link and idea, and as he ran he unhooked his Hylian shield from his back. When he next passed by a hole, he stopped, and Eldin immediately responded with a fiery jet. Link positioned his shield so that the flames bounced of it, directing the stream straight back at the centipede. It reared up again, for longer this time, giving Link a chance to shoot several arrows into its underbelly. But after a few moments the monster recovered, and Link started to run.

He repeated his trick the next chance he got, and this time shot a bomb arrow at the centipede. It writhed in pain from the explosion, and then the armour on its back began to crack off, revealing another soft spot on the back of its head. But this just angered the monster more, and it charged at Link, knocking him back into the hole. He gripped the edge of the grating and looked down at the lava below. Fortunately, Eldin was flying around the chamber and didn't seem to have noticed Link, but the centipede was still in front of Link, preparing to slash him with its jaws.

Suddenly it reared again, this time in pain, and collapsed to the side revealing an arrow sticking out of its weak spot. A pair of hands appeared in front of Link and helped him back up onto the floor. Link looked up and saw Zelda smiling down at him.

'About time!' he grumbled, but he was relieved to see her safe. She was carrying a bow of her own, and she held something out to Link.

'I found this on my way,' she said. 'Thought you might want it back.' Link gratefully took his sword from her, swishing it in the air a few times to regain the feel of it. But his joy was short-lived as the centipede recovered, angrier than ever. Eldin roared below them, and they leapt away just in time to avoid another stream of fire. Link looked over at Zelda, but she was already running.

'You distract it, I'll stab it!' she yelled.

'Now that, I can do,' Link said with a grin. He waved his arms in front of the monster. 'Hey, ugly! Over here!' It charged at him but Link was ready, dodging to one side. It reared up and he slashed at it, just as Zelda stabbed the weak point at its head from behind. The centipede writhed in pain, but Link joined Zelda and together they drove their swords deep into the monster's head.

It stopped moving, and dissolved into blackness, leaving behind a heart container. Link closed his eyes as his body absorbed it, enjoying the blissful sensation of healing. When it was gone, he turned to Zelda.

'You know what I've just realised?'

'What?' Zelda asked, grinning at him.

'We're actually pretty good at this,' Link said, returning her grin and making Zelda laugh out loud. Then her smile faded as her gaze fell on the lava pit below the grating.

'Incoming!' she yelled, shoving Link out the way as Eldin roared and crashed straight through the grating, floating in the air in front of them. If anything, Link though he looked angrier than before. He looked around the chamber, searching for the monster, but saw nothing. He turned back to the Hylians, and brought his face close to Link's.

'You. Boy. Where is that thing that tormented me?' Link leaned back from the jets of hot air from the dragon's nostrils, and tried not to breathe. Eldin's breath left something to be desired.

'We killed it,' he managed, and the Fire Dragon withdrew, looking at Link critically. Suddenly he circled round behind Link, his face inches from the back of the Hylian's left hand.

'Hmm, yes. I wondered if you were him.' Link was confused, but his Mark of Farore seemed to satisfy Eldin. 'I apologise for my earlier behaviour. After one of your kind imprisoned me in here, I was naturally suspicious when two more Hylians came. I thought you were on the side of that monster. But I see now I was mistaken.' Link nodded in relief, and Zelda spoke up.

'So your imprisonment – is that why the volcano was erupting? Because you weren't there to stop it?' Eldin looked somewhat embarrassed at this.

'No, the eruption was an explosion of my power. I'm afraid, locked up in here, I got a little… tetchy.' Link smiled. Eldin looked up, towards the distant circle of daylight that showed the mouth of the volcano. 'I will stop the eruptions now. But you two should leave this place. Calming the volcano will require me to use my power and I can't promise that won't have side effects.' With that the Fire Dragon flew up out of the volcano.

Suddenly the walls began to shake as the lava beneath the floor started to bubble. It rose up inside the volcano, heading straight for where Link and Zelda were standing. Zelda grabbed his arm and towed him to the boss door, escaping back into the main chamber. But the lava here was rising too and the friends sprinted back across the bridge just before it was swallowed up by the molten rock. They rushed outside and back down the slope, coming to a stop inside Darion's cave.

'Ah, the Hylians! You return! But, erm, the volcano does not seem to be improving…' Ignoring the concerned Goron Link and Zelda went out into the flat area between the caves, where many other Gorons were gathering, all looking up at the volcano. Link had to agree with Darion, it didn't look good. The eruption was more violent than ever. Suddenly a red shape flew out of the volcano, and Eldin rose high above the mountains. He roared, louder than Link had heard before, making him cover his ears. The eruption stopped abruptly, and the ground stopped shaking. The sky above the mountains became clear of ash, and the noise of the volcano was replaced with the gravel-chewing one of the Gorons cheering.

Link and Zelda smiled at each other, both secretly glad that nothing as terrible as last time had happened. Link noticed that the cheering of the Gorons had stopped, and Darion had emerged from his cave and was advancing towards the heroes, who instinctively began backing away. The Goron Elder held out his arms, and announced to the other Gorons in Hylian:

'These children have done our tribe a great service. As a reward, I shall make them part of our tribe, as honorary Gorons.' The crowd started cheering again, but still Darion came closer. 'And now, I shall give my new friends a Goron hug.' Link and Zelda looked at each other in alarm. The gesture was meant well, but for a Hylian a Goron hug meant being crushed by several tons of rock. They nodded at each other and took off down the mountain before Darion could reach them.

At the base of the mountain, where the rock ended and the green grass of Hyrule Field began, they stopped to catch their breath. Link pulled out Mara's flute and played Epona's song, and before long his loyal horse appeared in the distance, galloping towards them, with Rhiannon following behind.

'You have done well, young ones,' a deep voice from behind the Hylians said. They spun round and Link was shocked to see Eldin floating just behind them. For someone so massive he could be surprisingly silent. The dragon continued, looking far out into the distance. 'But you must not rest yet. There are three of us dragons. Two of us you have already saved, but the third worries me. She is the Water Dragon, Faron. Lanayru and I were only incapacitated a short time ago, but Faron I have not seen for many years. I am worried.' Link looked up at him. He did indeed look worried, and that worried Link. Anything that could worry a dragon could certainly cause him a lot of trouble.

'What do you think happened to her?' Zelda asked.

'I do not know,' Eldin answered. 'But I do not think it was that soldier. He has been around only recently, not when Faron first disappeared.' It surprised Link that something had gone wrong in Hyrule that wasn't Branford's fault. He had thought the man to be the source of all evil in the kingdom. But then he remembered Casineb, the mysterious evil in the mirror. He remembered the evil Zelda had mentioned too, the one she had released which had killed her friends, and he wondered. Were they the same? Had Zelda released Casineb from his prison? But then how did it end up in the mirror? He came out of his thoughts as Eldin spoke again.

'Be wary of that man. He is no ordinary mortal.' Link looked up in surprise, and Eldin saw him and chuckled. 'You really think a mere Hylian could be strong enough to lock away the great Fire Dragon, and perform magic dark enough to possess the great Thunder Dragon? No, that man is assisted by some higher power, a being of great darkness that seeks only to destroy. I believe you have already encountered the demon.' Link nodded. It made sense now, how Branford had managed to cause such damage all by himself. With Casineb's help it would be easy. The demon got a puppet, and Branford got to hurt people to his heart's content. Link shuddered. The two deserved one another.

'Where should we go next?' Zelda asked Eldin.

'To your home, Faron Woods. You have already seen the temple there, and its curse, although you did not know at the time what it was.' Link gasped, remembering the mysterious House of the Fallen he had seen the day he met Zelda. No doubt that was what Eldin was referring to. He and Zelda thanked the dragon, who bowed his head and flew back up the mountain to his volcanic home. Epona and Rhiannon had reached their masters by now, and the Hylians mounted their steeds and set off to the south.

-o-

A/N: Hope you liked temple no. 2! Also hope you liked the boss. I'm never really sure how to do those, but I hope I got it right (or at least, good enough). I also had no idea how to go about naming the bosses, so I gave up, but feel free to make up your own names and let me know! If they're really good, I might even edit them into the story...


	10. Chapter 10: A Day of Rest?

A/N: Hello all, good to see you again. This chapter is going to be another long one, so settle down, make yourselves comfortable, grab a mug of tea (or other beverage of your choice), and off we go!

-o-

The sun set soon after they left the Eldin mountains, and they decided to stay the night in Hyrule Town. A few hours later therefore, they were once again entering Charenn's inn.

'Link! Zelda! Oh, it's so good to see you two lovelies again!' she exclaimed as soon as she saw them. She led them upstairs, away from the noise of the packed bar. As they entered one of the rooms Link was surprised to see Faru, sitting on the bed.

'Link! You're okay! That's… That's just great, bud.' Charenn cleared her throat.

'We're a bit busy tonight, so you two boys are going to have to share. Zelda, you can sleep with the girls.'

'Where's Quin?' Link asked. Faru didn't meet his eyes.

'She's sharing with Charenn's niece. I haven't seen that much of her, actually. Ever since we got to this town, it's like she's been avoiding me.' Link sighed. Clearly Quin had finally made Faru realise that she wasn't interested in him. He certainly wasn't taking it well. Zelda followed Charenn out of the room, mouthing one last 'Good luck' back at Link as she went.

He rolled his eyes. He was going to need luck, spending the night helping his old friend accept that his crush of many years just didn't feel the same way. On some level Link had been mentally preparing for this conversation his whole life, knowing that Quin didn't love Faru. But he still wasn't looking forward to it. He sat down next to the older man, placed a consoling hand on his shoulder, and began.

'Look, it's like this…'

-o-

Zelda followed Charenn into another room across the hall from the boys, this time with three beds. The red-haired girl from Link's village, Quin, was sitting on one of them. The other one was empty, although clearly slept in. Responding to Charenn's questioning look, Quin said,

'Cariad's still out at the library. She normally only leaves after sunset, and with the amount of books she'll be carrying it'll still be a while.' Charenn nodded and left the two girls to get better acquainted. Zelda sat down awkwardly on the unoccupied bed. Normally she didn't get nervous, but something about Quin made her feel slightly uncomfortable. It looked as though Quin didn't share this awkwardness though, as she immediately struck up a conversation on the one topic Zelda didn't really want to talk about.

'So. You and Link, huh? Going off to save the world together?' Zelda sat in silence. She had seen the tenderness when Quin hugged Link, and she had seen the golden-skinned girl watching him for a long time after they left. Like Faru and, although he would never admit it, Link, Zelda wondered about Quin's feelings for her friend and rival. Realising that Quin was expecting an answer, she replied,

'Um… yeah. I mean, we, we're friends. Like you two, I guess.' Quin raised her eyebrows at her.

'Don't tell me you've fallen for it too. I've told Faru Goddesses know how many times, I am not in love with Link!' Zelda was surprised.

'I never said you were!'

'Well, you were thinking it,' Quin retorted. Zelda shrugged. You couldn't argue with logic like that.

'So you are in love with that other boy, Faru?' she asked. Quin rolled her eyes and fell back on her bed.

'Honestly, you're as bad as the boys! Just because I say I don't love one of them, they automatically assume I do love the other one. It's ridiculous! And as for Faru's idiotic puppy-love, well. Sometimes I just want to grab his head and knock it against a tree a few times. Why do they assume that I would ever fall in love with a man at all?' Zelda frowned, and her gaze fell on Cariad's bed. She remembered what Faru had told Link before she left, about how Quin had been avoiding him ever since she came to the town. Ever since she met Cariad?

'Quin, please don't get annoyed for me asking this, but are you and Cariad… together?' Quin sat up and stared at Zelda.

'I thought Link said you were smart! Din, that took a long time! Yes, we're together, and we're very happy, thank you for not asking.' Zelda had to laugh at Quin's indignation. She was certainly living up to Link's description of her as 'fiery'.

'Well I'm very happy for you,' she said, and she meant it. Cariad had spent far too long being pushed around by her mother – or rather, her aunt. Now, with her real mother Charenn and her new girlfriend Quin to look after her, Zelda didn't think anyone would ever try to push Cariad around ever again. Remembering her theory about Cariad's parentage, Zelda asked Quin. After all, if Cariad had been told by now, she would surely have told her girlfriend. Quin nodded.

'Yeah, apparently her mother, Charenn, left to go off with Mylin, but Cariad's aunt Ast-something- what? Astellyl? Yeah, that sounds about right. Anyway, Cari's aunt took her from her mother and raised her as her own. Of course, once Cari moved here her real mother told her straight away. I've got to say, I'm surprised she didn't realise it herself before. They look so similar.' Zelda nodded, smiling at the nickname. Just then, 'Cari' herself walked in and greeted her friend.

'Zelda! I heard you were here! I see you've met Quin.' Cariad smiled at Quin who returned it, and Zelda couldn't help but notice how happy they looked together. She yawned.

'Well, much though I'd like to stay up gossiping with you two all night, I have to get up rather early tomorrow morning, so I'm off to bed.' With that she lay down on her bed and soon fell asleep.

Later that night, she woke up to the sound of whispering on the other side of the room. Turning over as quietly as she could, she saw the outline of Quin and Cariad, standing in front of the window, their faces framed by the moonlight. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but seeing them holding each other's hands she didn't need to. Their heads moved together and she turned away, not wanting to intrude on their private moment. But before she drifted back off to sleep she heard the sound of a soft kiss.

-o-

Link got up early the next morning, before Faru woke up. They had stayed up late talking, but Link didn't think it had done much good. He went down to the deserted bar and found Zelda reading while eating breakfast. She smiled at him as he sat down next to her and began to eat.

'Fun night?' she asked. Link grimaced, making Zelda laugh. 'Yes, I thought so. There's no potion that can heal a broken heart.'

'So how's Quin?' Link asked.

'Oh she's, she's great. Yes, really happy. Really, really happy...' Link stared at her.

'What do you mean?' Zelda sighed and looked at him.

'Link, Quin and Cariad are going out.' Link inhaled his breakfast.

'What?' he said, coughing, as Zelda hit him on the back. 'Since when?'

'Since they met, I guess. They look really happy together.' Link had recovered from his choking by this point, but not from his shock.

'Quin is a lesbian? How did I not know that?' Zelda laughed at him.

'It's about time you met a girl who doesn't fall head over heels in love with you the moment she meets you.' Link rolled his eyes.

'That doesn't happen.'

'Yes. It really does,' said Zelda. Link looked at her. He didn't know many girls, and the ones he did know he was sure didn't like him that way. The only one he had ever been suspicious of was Quin, and now it turned out he could not have been more wrong.

'Okay, Mara. She doesn't fancy me.'

'Yes, she does, a little bit,' said Zelda. Link stared.

'Okay, Hyra, Princess of Hyrule. You can't say she has a crush on me.'

'Can't I?' Zelda replied. 'Because she actually likes you the most. That's the reason I got so suspicious when she asked you to go to the castle with her alone. Well, one of the reasons.' Link thought about this. Then he grinned as he had an idea.

'You.' Zelda stared at him.

'What about me?'

'You said I'd never met a girl who didn't love me before Quin, right? Well I met you before I found out about Quin, so what you're saying is, you're in love with me!' he finished triumphantly. He half expected Zelda to punch him, but instead she turned bright red and looked away.

'That's not the point,' she mumbled. 'You're just a friend.' Link was shocked, but then Zelda kicked him sharply under the table. 'I'm not in love with you, and that's that.'

'Okay…' Link said. 'Why so angry?' Zelda sighed.

'Quin was teasing me about it. She thinks you and I are together, and the whole "quest" thing is just a cover.' Link laughed, and Zelda joined him. 'Imagine us, together! That would be gross!' she said, and Link's laughter faded.

'Well, I mean, not that gross…' Zelda was looking at him incredulously when Mylin came down the stairs.

'Hello, didn't know you two dears were here. What brings you to our fine town?' Link explained that they were stopping over and would be leaving soon, but Mylin interrupted.

'Oh no dear, you can't leave today. Look outside!' Link did, and saw rain pouring down the windows. Overhead thunder rumbled, and Link jumped as it reminded him of Eldin's roar. 'No dear, you'll stay here today. You can leave tomorrow.' Zelda started to protest, but Mylin wasn't having any of it. 'No arguments. Everyone needs a day off occasionally, even heroes.' Link turned to his friend and shrugged.

'From what Eldin said, Faron Woods have been cursed for years. I'm sure leaving it one more day won't hurt?' Zelda looked unconvinced, but gave up.

'Alright. One day.'

-o-

Link set off an hour later, leaving Zelda behind at the bar. Despite the storm, he wanted to see the Princess and reassure her that her curse would soon be broken. He thought briefly about Zelda's claim that Hyra had a crush on him, and shoved it from his mind. Obviously his friend was just teasing him. But when he arrived at the large doors leading to the throne room he found them locked tight, and two guards blocked his way.

'Her Highness is not receiving the people today,' one of them said.

'No, I'm not here to have an audience, I need to speak to the Princess! I'm a friend, trust me, she'll want to see me.' The guards didn't move.

'Her Highness _explicitly_ said, no visitors. Come to think of it though, you do look familiar…' the guard said. Link smiled; hopefully the guard would remember him. He did, but it didn't have the desired effect as the guard pointed his spear at Link.

'Hey, aren't you that rude boy the Princess ordered thrown out of the castle?' Link turned tail and ran, back through the large arch leading to the town, but the guards didn't follow far from the door. Peeking cautiously round the wall, Link saw a third man joining the other two, his back to Link. He seemed to be asking the guards something and as one of them pointed at the arch where Link was hidden, he realised what the topic of conversation was. The third man turned round to look, and Link quickly darted back. But as his eyes informed his brain what they had just seen, Link felt rage burning inside him. The third man was none other than Branford.

Link instinctively reached for his sword, but stopped himself. After spending so much time with Zelda her calmness and wisdom was starting to rub off on him, and he knew that killing a respected soldier right outside the castle was a bad idea. It didn't stop him from seething though. He took a few breaths to calm himself, then looked back. The guards were alone again; presumably Branford had thought a mere boy to be unworthy of his time.

Link sighed, then turned his thoughts to how to get into the castle. He remembered the secret passage, but to get to it he would have to cross right in front of the guards' line of sight. He needed a distraction. He thought for a moment, then grinned. Sometimes subtlety and elegance was a good thing, but Link personally favoured a blunter approach. He popped the cap off a bomb and rolled it towards the guards. They stared for a moment, then dived to either side as it exploded. When the dust cleared they immediately grabbed their spears and started looking around for the culprit, but Link had already sped past them and reached the section of wall concealing the passage. He knocked and it swung open, but to his surprise the old lady from before, Impa, wasn't there. Shrugging, he pulled the door closed behind him and headed up the corridor.

Again he passed by the gratings, but he didn't stop. Eventually he reached the other end and burst out into the Princess' chambers. Fortunately, she was alone, facing away from him. She stood at the door and seemed about to leave when Link called out to her.

'Hyra!' he said, glad to see she was alright. 'Hyra, it's Link! I'm back, I've freed two of the dragons and tomorrow I'm going to free the last one. We're nearly there!'

'Well, isn't that nice,' Hyra said, still not turning to Link. He stopped, shocked. The voice that had come out of Hyra's mouth wasn't hers, but a man's. She turned round, and her eyes were blood red. Realising too late what had happened, Link tried to retreat back into the tunnel. But with a wave of her hand, Hyra sealed the door shut, displaying her Mark of Din as she did so. She laughed, and again Link heard Casineb speaking.

'I must say, you've done better than I expected from a mere child. Your tireless work ruining my plans has been impressive, but now I'm afraid my patience has worn thin. Goodbye, little _Hero_.' Hyra raised both her hands, and her eyes changed from red to the pure, soulless black of Casineb's eyes. As Link watched, powerless to resist, Hyra morphed completely from the Princess to the demonic form of the evil being. Casineb drew back its hands, preparing to strike- and fell motionless to the floor.

Looking up in shock Link saw Impa standing in the open doorway behind the fallen demon, who had now returned to the Princess' Hylian form. Impa's hands were raised and the remnants of the magic she had used on the demon flickered around her fingers. Without a word to Link she locked the door behind her and knelt by the Princess. The old woman put a hand to the girl's forehead and began to mutter in a language Link had never heard before, which he assumed was Sheikah. Hyra began to twitch as if she were having a nightmare, but Link knew she wasn't asleep.

Finally, Impa stopped and Hyra fell motionless. Still silent, Impa beckoned to Link and they left together via the main door. Stopping outside to relock the Princess' chambers, Impa sighed deeply in relief, but also sadness.

'You have seen what has become of the Princess.' It wasn't a question, but Link nodded anyway. 'Fortunately, my magic still works on that demon, to render it unconscious and to remove the Princess' memory of the last few minutes. When she wakes neither she nor the demon will remember seeing you, so you will be safe. But my magic will fail soon. Already the charmed necklace I gave her to contain the evil is useless. I beg of you my child, free the dragons before the Princess is lost.' Impa looked defeated, and Link realised how close her bond with the Princess was. 'Come, my child. I will lead you from the castle.'

'What happened to her?' Link asked as he followed the Sheikah. 'She was fine last time I saw her. She did say Casineb would take over again soon, but it's only been a few days. How did it get so strong?' Impa shook her head sadly.

'That demon is fuelled by hatred; the more anger it feels, the stronger it becomes. That is why I have not tried to stop it from making Hyra ruin her kingdom. It is cruel, I know, but I am not strong enough to seal away the demon, and if I interfered it would only become stronger and wreak more havoc. When you came before, I believe seeing you and your friend infuriated the demon. You two managed to beat it back without even being aware of what you were doing, and it raged at you because of it. When you left, it grew in strength until it… well, you have seen with your own eyes what it has done.' Link bowed his head. He was grateful that he had been able to give Hyra a reprieve from the demon, if only for a day or so, but it sounded like he had done more harm than good.

'Do not blame yourself,' Impa said, reading his mind. 'If you had not come the demon would have taken Hyra over completely anyway. It would just have taken longer.'

'So how did it get to Hyra in the first place?' Link asked. He recalled Hyra saying something about Casineb's mirror being a gift from a noble. Again, Impa read his mind.

'Yes, we thought at the time it was a gift. But now I see that it was a trick. The mirror was planted by someone, to destroy the Princess. I just wish I knew who.'

'Branford.' Impa stared at Link, and he was surprised himself. He hadn't intended to say anything, but his immediate thought had slipped out of his mouth.

'You mean the Captain of the Royal Guard?' Impa asked incredulously. Link nodded, and told the old woman what he had learnt about the soldier's actions in Fallhollow Village, Zoras Domain and the Eldin Mountains.

'The Fire Dragon said he was being aided by the demon. It seems logical that he was the one who gave Hyra the mirror in the first place, to release his master. The only thing I don't understand is why her? Why did Branford need to give the mirror to Hyra? Surely it would have been easier to allow himself to be possessed.'

'Because Hyra makes the demon stronger,' Impa replied. 'She may not have the divine power you and your friend have, at least not when she is free of the demon, but she has strength of her own, a strength most people do not have. That is why the demon needs her: it uses her strength as its own.'

They were walking down a wide corridor with a large pair of double doors on one side. Impa opened these and pulled Link inside, checking the corridor to make sure no-one had seen them. Inside was what Link took to be a portrait gallery, as numerous paintings of regal-looking people hung on the walls.

'Come,' Impa said, leading Link to the far end, where a picture of Hyra hung. 'These paintings show every monarch Hyrule has had since the creation of the kingdom.' Walking along the gallery they went backwards in time, as the pictures showed rulers from Hyrule's increasingly distant past. Link noticed that all the people bore a strong resemblance to Hyra, with the same dark purple hair and brown eyes; Link assumed that none of them were possessed by ancient demons at the time of the painting. He also saw that they were all men. He chuckled, thinking that Quin would have something to say about that.

'The Princess is only the second female ruler Hyrule has ever had,' Impa explained.

'Did none of the Kings ever have a daughter before?' Link asked.

'No,' Impa said. 'There have been only boys for generations. That would have continued in this generation as well. Hyra had a brother, three years older than her. So Hyra was supposed to remain a Princess while her brother became King, but he died when he was fifteen. Hyra was just twelve. Their father was still alive, but he always favoured his son over his daughter and he never recovered from the boy's death. He died less than a year after that.'

'So Hyra was… thirteen when she became ruler?' Link asked, trying to calculate in his head. Impa nodded.

'She was, and still is, the youngest ruler we have ever had. Normally in the absence of a ruler, either through death or through abdication, a child is crowned when they turn eighteen. But with the sudden deaths of all the men in the royal family, the Council decided that the kingdom needed stability. They crowned Hyra immediately. Needless to say, she was not ready. Her father had spent years teaching his son how to rule a country, never doubting that he would be his successor. When the boy died, Hyra's father spent his time grieving. He never taught her anything.

Many people in this kingdom think that Hyra is a bad ruler, and her actions under the influence of the demon have hardly helped that. But they forget that she is still a child, a child who has had this great task placed upon her with no warning or preparation whatsoever. She tries her utmost to do what is right for this kingdom, she always has, and if she had come to the throne at the proper age she would have made a fine monarch. But fate has conspired against her.' Impa spoke passionately, and Link was reminded again of the strong bond she had with Hyra.

'What happened to her mother?' he asked.

'She died giving birth to Hyra,' Impa replied. 'The King loved his wife very much, and her death struck him almost as much as that of his son. I believe he never forgave his daughter, although it was not her fault.' Link nodded. By now they had nearly reached the end of the gallery, but there was a large gap between the last and second last paintings.

'What's that?' he asked.

'That gap represents the gap in the rulers. The person in the last painting founded the kingdom, but she was never known to have had children, and after her death the throne of Hyrule was left empty. After centuries of political deadlock between the most powerful families, all of whom wanted the crown for themselves, Hyra's family eventually brokered a treaty between the other nobles, and became the new rulers.'

'So who was the first ruler?' Link asked.

'See for yourself,' Impa said, gesturing at the final painting. 'I gather it will be something of a familiar face.' Link looked at the last painting on the wall, and gasped. It showed a beautiful girl of about Link's age, and as Impa had said, she was familiar. The girl from his dream. Zelda. Looking at the portrait Link could see the resemblance to his Zelda. The eyes were the same deep blue, and the hair was shining gold, just like Zelda's. Impa stood silently behind Link.

'So. You realise now who your friend really is?' Link turned.

'Zelda? I don't- She's not a princess.'

'Not the one you know, no, but the one from your dream was. Zelda, the first Princess of Hyrule.' Link was shocked.

'How do you know about my dreams?' Impa just smiled mysteriously.

'We Sheikah have always had great power.' Link snorted. As if that explained anything. He turned back to the portrait.

'So the Zelda from my dream was a princess? Then who was the boy?'

'I should think you've worked that one out for yourself by now,' Impa said.

'The Hero of the Skies?' Link asked.

'Yes, the first Link.' Link looked at the painting again.

'Why does she look so much like my Zelda?'

' _Your_ Zelda?' Impa asked with a slight smile. Link blushed bright red.

'You know what I mean.'

'Because that Zelda is the ancestor of your Zelda.'

'But I though you said she didn't have any children?'

'She wasn't _known_ to have had children. She did not want her daughter to ascend to the throne of Hyrule, so she hid her. That woman hid a great many things, including the identity of the girl's father.'

'Wasn't it the Hero? Everyone knows Link and Zelda were in love.' Impa smiled.

'If the girl really was Link's daughter, surely that would mean the two of you are related.' Link frowned.

'Where do I come into it?'

'Have you never wondered why you bear such a resemblance to the great Hero?' Impa asked. Link, who hadn't, furrowed his brow for a moment, then he turned to Impa in surprise.

'I'm his descendant?' Impa nodded. 'How do you know all this?' he asked her.

'I am a descendant of the original Impa, who guarded the Sealed Temple and assisted the Hero and the Goddess in their adventures. Actually, I say I am a descendant, but that is not exactly true. The Sheikah do not have children like Hylians. When we die, we are reincarnated. So you see, I am a reincarnation of the original Impa. After I died the first time, I reappeared and acted as an advisor to Her Grace the Goddess when she became the Princess. I was there when she gave birth to her child. But though she never confided in me the identity of the child's father, I can tell you for certain it was not Link.' Link the younger nodded slowly, taking all this in. Something clicked.

'So why didn't the Goddess want her child to be Princess after her?'

'Because the child would be too close to a deity. Even with the mortal blood of her father mixed in, the sacred blood from her mother would render the girl very close to a god. Zelda, or Hylia if you prefer, the Princess, she thought that it would take centuries before the blood was diluted enough for one of her descendants to be mostly mortal. Only then could that girl retake her rightful place as Princess of Hyrule. In the meantime, Hylia left the throne to the Hylians themselves.'

'But why wouldn't Hylia let a goddess be ruler?' Impa sighed deeply.

'Because on her great adventure, Zelda had learnt how much her people relied on the Goddess, and therefore how helpless they were when she left them. She also saw other peoples, who did not rely on divine protection, and she knew that her people would be fine without her, if only they could truly be without her.' This confused Link. Impa sighed again.

'In essence, she decided that her people had become too dependent on her power, and if anything ever happened to her or her descendants the kingdom would be thrown into turmoil. But by placing an ordinary mortal on the throne, Hylia reduced her people's need for her, making them safer in the future.' Finally, Link understood. But one thing still irked him.

'So… if Hylia's descendants are still the rightful heirs to the throne… and Hylia is Zelda's ancestor… that would mean…'

'Yes,' Impa said, smiling as the truth dawned like the rising sun on Link's perplexed face. 'The Zelda you know, the humble forest girl, is in fact the rightful Princess of Hyrule.' Link was silent for a moment.

'Huh.'

-o-

Link wandered back to the inn thoughtfully that afternoon, disregarding the pouring rain. Impa had led him from the castle as she had promised, leaving him outside with a warning not to return until he had freed the final dragon. Link knew that she was right, that it was too dangerous to be near Hyra, and Casineb, unless he knew he could destroy the demon. Without Impa's intervention, Link would have been killed already. But he was also pondering what she had told him about his ancestry, and Zelda's. He couldn't believe that he was truly a descendant of the great Hero of the Skies, the one he had heard stories about ever since he was old enough to listen.

And Zelda. The idea of her as a princess, as a goddess, was more than Link could handle. By now his feet had led him back to the courtyard outside the inn, and he could hear familiar voices inside: Mylin, Quin, Faru and from the sound of it Charenn had returned as well. Smiling, Link stepped into the warmth of the bar. His friends looked up as he approached with shocked expressions.

'Link dearie, you're soaked!' Charenn said, as Quin rushed over.

'Link! Where have you been? Look at you!'

'I'm fine,' Link replied weakly, but Quin wasn't listening she pulled him over to a table by a roaring fire, where Faru was already sitting.

'You okay bud?' he asked.

'Of course he's not! He's an idiot!' Quin snapped before Link had a chance to open his mouth.

'I'm okay, really,' he insisted. 'Where's Zelda?' Quin stopped fussing for a moment and glared at him, hands on hips.

'Our girlfriends are upstairs having some kind of intellectual discussion. Not your kind of thing.' Link glared back at her, and shrugging off her restraining arms stood to go.

'She's not my girlfriend! And I need to talk to her.'

'I'll come,' Faru said, leaving Quin to huff off to help the two barwomen. Link was confused, but supposed that between Quin, Charenn and Mylin Faru probably just wanted a break. At least he seemed to have found out about and accepted Quin and Cariad's relationship. As they walked up the stairs in silence Link considered telling Faru what he had found out, about being a descendant of the Hero. After all, the man was his oldest friend. But Link knew he wouldn't believe him; after all, he barely believed it himself.

The door of the girls' bedroom was ajar, and inside Link saw Zelda and Cariad lying on their beds, poring over a pile of ancient books. He smiled. It looked as though Zelda had found a kindred bookworm spirit in Cariad. He cleared his throat, and Zelda looked up, surprised. Cariad quickly made an excuse about helping her mother downstairs, and left with Faru leaving Link alone with Zelda.

'Link? What's going on? You're soaked! Did you walk all the way back in the rain?'

'Already had this conversation with Quin,' Link said with a smile. Zelda sighed.

'You're a real idiot sometimes, you know that?'

'Did that too,' Link replied. Then he looked away for a moment, unsure how to start the conversation. 'Zelda, Hyra's in danger. Casineb has taken over completely.' Zelda shook her head angrily.

'I knew we shouldn't have stayed today. That poor girl.'

'No, it's okay- well, not okay exactly, but I found something else.' Zelda looked at him with interest. 'I met Hyra's advisor, a Sheikah woman called Impa.'

'Impa?' Zelda asked, shocked. Link paused for a moment. Zelda seemed to recognise the name, and he wondered if it was some ancestral memory. After all, Impa had said that her previous incarnations were very close to Zelda's ancestors.

'She told me about the history of the Royal Family, and before that… She told me about Hylia, and her descendants.' Zelda nodded slowly.

'Let me guess. She told you I'm a descendant of Hylia, and you're a descendant of the first Link.'

'Yes! How did you know that?' Zelda didn't meet his eyes.

'I actually knew ever since we came here to Hyrule Town the first time. While you went to meet Hyra I went to the library, and I found an old book of legends which said that Hylia and her Hero both had children, and the sacred power those two had was passed down their bloodline. It said that at some point in the future that power would manifest itself as the Marks of the Goddesses.'

'Why didn't you tell me this before?' Link asked.

'I meant to, but I forgot… I know it sounds like a stupid excuse, but when you told me about Casineb all I could think about was that all this was my fault!' Link understood, and put his arm around her shoulders.

'Well, we know now.' But Zelda wasn't finished.

'There was something else in the book. Ever since Hyra showed us her Mark of Din I've been wondering about it. Now I know that we got our marks from our ancestors, but none of her ancestors had any connection to the Triforce. And the way the Mark fades when Casineb is weakened… There was a third figure in the legends, a third Bearer of the Triforce. Link had Courage, Hylia had Wisdom, and Power was held by Demise.' Zelda was silent for a moment while Link absorbed this. He had heard stories about the great demon king Demise who his ancestor had fought against.

'But how did he pass that down to Hyra? Demise was destroyed, remember?' Zelda sighed.

'I'm not sure about this. But I think somehow he passed it down to Casineb, not Hyra. So when the Princess is possessed Casineb's power shines through. That means that Casineb is destined to become the Bearer of Power, like you and I are destined to become Bearers of Courage and Wisdom. And that… frightens me a bit. I mean, look at all the damage that thing's done already, and that's without the power of the Triforce. With it…'

'But how did Casineb even come to exist? How did Demise pass on his power?'

'Again, I'm not sure. But remember how the word Casineb means hatred? Well, before Demise was killed he cursed Link and Hylia, saying that an incarnation of his hatred would forever curse their descendants. My guess would be that Casineb is that incarnation, come to curse me and you.' Link was silent as he pondered this. He shivered slightly at the thought that Casineb was not just some demon, but a creation of the Demon King Demise. Zelda was also silent, looking at the floor.

'Link… are you sure about this?'

'About what?'

'About the idea that we can beat this thing.' Link didn't answer. Truthfully, until now he hadn't contemplated the possibility that he couldn't defeat Casineb. He sighed heavily, but then gasped as his Mark of Farore burned, more powerfully than he had felt it before.

'Yes,' he answered Zelda. 'Or at least, I'm sure I'm going to try. The demon's done too much damage, I have to try. And maybe he is helped by some ancient power, but so are we.'

'But Link, what if-' Link stopped her.

'Zelda. I know we might get killed. I'm not going to ask you to come if you don't want to. But if we don't stop this thing, we're as good as dead anyway. _I have to try_.' Zelda watched him in silence for a moment, her deep blue eyes meeting his. Then she smiled slightly, and took his left hand in hers. The marks on their hands glowed brightly, green and blue, just as they had when the two first met. But Link wasn't looking at them.

He slowly leaned towards Zelda until their lips were almost touching. He closed his eyes and-

'LINK! Holy Din, what are you doing? Are you two kissing? Oh Farore!' Link and Zelda shot away from each other, both turning cherry red as Quin stared from the doorway. Link cleared his throat in embarrassment.

'It wasn't what you think… What do you want, anyway?' Quin was still staring in shock.

'Um… Oh yeah, Cari and I were going to go to bed, but if you two are still busy in here…' Cariad's worried face appeared over Quin's shoulder.

'Quin, they don't want to be disturbed. Let's go.'

'No!' said Zelda and Link simultaneously.

'It's okay, you two can come in. Link and I were just… saying goodnight,' Zelda said, blushing furiously. Quin had recovered her composure and winked slyly at the two of them.

'I thought only me and Cari said goodnight like that!' she said, causing Zelda to blush even deeper.

'Um… night,' Link said awkwardly, rising from the bed.

'…Night,' Zelda said in reply, not looking at him. Cariad went to join Zelda, but Quin stayed outside with Link, pulling the door closed slightly.

'So, you and Zelda?'

 _Not_ me and Zelda,' Link said firmly. Quin smiled, and put a hand on his shoulder.

'Link… I'm happy for you two. Honestly,' she added as Link glared at her. He shrugged her hand off.

'There is no us two. Things just got a bit out of hand,' he said.

'Yeah, I figured you'd say something like that,' Quin said sadly.

'What do you mean?'

'Link, you know Cariad and I are happy, right?'

'Of course,' Link said, confused.

'Well, we nearly weren't. When Faru and I got here, and I met Cariad, it was love at first sight. I know that sounds stupid, but it's true. But even when I knew she was a lesbian, even when she was giving me all the signs that she liked me back, I still nearly didn't do anything about it. See, I never told anyone that I was a lesbian before her, and even without the stress of coming out, having a relationship just seemed too hard. For a while I was going to not say anything, just be friends with her, enjoy spending all my time in her company, but never tell her I loved her.' Link sighed, realising where this was going.

'I get it, the Parable of the Lesbians. You fell in love with your friend but you didn't want to do anything about it in case you lost your friend, but then you did, and it was the best choice you ever made.' Quin gave him a Look, reminding him of the ones Zelda gave him a lot.

'Fine, if you're going to be like that you can mess up your love life, or lack thereof, all by yourself. But I'm just saying,' she said more softly, 'you should think about it. You and Zelda are more similar to me and Cari than you think. And trust me, if you don't say anything, you'll regret it later.' With that she went into the girls' room, leaving Link alone and confused.

-o-

A/N: I'll be honest, I didn't intend that to happen. The almost-kiss, I mean. Sometimes I feel like this story is writing itself, and I certainly didn't plan for Link and Zelda to get so... cosy, but suddenly I realised that I'd typed it out, and, well, I figured I may as well keep it.

Hope you enjoyed today's work! Tomorrow's update promises more awkwardness, then they're off to the House of the Fallen!


	11. Chapter 11: Return to Faron Woods

A/N: Couple things. First of all an outpouring of gratitude: over 500 views! It makes me so happy to think that people are actually enjoying this! Second, shoutout to luisAM21 who has posted two lovely reviews. Thank you. You said you like longer chapters, so consider this one at least partly dedicated to you :)

-o-

Later that night Link lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling in the dark. He was still working through what had happened, or rather nearly happened, with Zelda. And, although he didn't want to admit it, he was considering taking Quin's advice. He didn't know how he felt about Zelda – two weeks ago he hadn't even known she existed, and yet now he was thinking about telling her he loved her? Link shook his head, trying to clear it.

He wasn't sure he loved her though, that was the problem. He felt happy whenever she was around, he thought about her constantly, and a large part of him was angry with Quin for interrupting their almost-kiss, but he didn't know for sure and he didn't think he could risk it. He reminded himself that he still needed her help to free the final dragon and defeat Casineb. If he told her he loved her and she didn't feel the same way, he might lose his friend, and he couldn't afford to do that right now. But if she did feel the same way… Link got up from his bed and started pacing the room, ignoring the sleeping figure of Faru in the other bed.

'I shouldn't… I'm not sure about her yet… If it goes wrong…' he muttered to himself under his breath.

'Wha?' a sleepy voice asked. Clearly Faru wasn't as deep asleep as Link thought.

'Nothing. It's just… nothing,' Link replied, sitting back down on his bed. Part of him wanted to talk about it, but he overruled it. A good night's sleep, he decided, would solve all his problems. He just hoped Zelda wouldn't bring it up in the morning.

'You okay, bud?' Faru asked. Link sighed.

'As much as ever.' Silence, then,

'Girl problems?'

'Yep.' Another pause.

'You want to talk about it?'

'Nope.' More silence, much longer this time, and Link realised Faru had gone back to sleep. He lay back on his bed and sighed, wishing it was as easy for him. But when his lids drifted shut he saw Zelda's face again as she moved closer, eyes closed, about to kiss him. Pressing the heels of his hands over his eyes hard in a bid to make the images go away, Link prepared himself for a long night.

-o-

'Link?' He opened his eyes and gasped. Zelda was standing in front of him, but not the Zelda he knew. Zelda, the goddess Hylia in Hylian form, was watching him with concern. 'Link? Are you alright?' Link was too stunned to answer. This was another dream, but different to the ones he'd had before.

He looked around: he and Zelda were standing in the hands of an enormous statue, showing a graceful, winged woman: the Statue of the Goddess. Link had heard about it from legend; supposedly it crashed to earth to fulfil the Hero's wish to destroy Demise. Below the statue was temple, but not like the ones Link had visited. This one was looked as though it was designed not as a trap, but as a place of worship. It looked very old, but well looked after. But from his great distance Link couldn't tell anything else.

'Link?' Zelda asked again, and Link's head snapped back to her. She looked different from before, dressed in white this time. She looked very much like old drawings of Hylia in her goddess form.

'I'm alri-' Link started to say, but stopped when no sound came out. Zelda didn't look fazed, and it occurred to Link that her eyes were actually focused on something over Link's shoulder.

'I'm fine, Zelda. Just thinking,' another voice behind Link said. He spun round and found himself face to face with the Hero of the Skies. As Link gaped at him Zelda continued, seeming not to notice the younger Link's presence.

'That's good. Look around us! Look how beautiful this place is! I… I think I want to stay down here, to protect the Triforce.' Link tried to speak, tried to get the attention of one of the other Hylians, but they either couldn't see him or ignored him. In desperation Link tried to touch the other Link's shoulder, but to his shock his hand passed right through. The Hero was still staring at Zelda, completely unaware of his descendant's attempts to contact him. Zelda spoke again.

'What about you?' The younger Link stopped, for the first time taking notice of what she was saying. He knew that after Demise was defeated both Hylia and the Hero decided to stay on the Surface. It looked as though this decision was being made right in front of him. The Hero was staring, open-mouthed, but seemed to come to a decision. He said nothing, just smiled at Zelda. She smiled back and embraced her friend. Link the younger smiled too, but it faded as he remembered what Impa had told him. For some reason, Link and Zelda never ended up together, meaning that their happiness now wouldn't last. Link opened his mouth to say something, to try to find some way to warn the two, but suddenly the scene before him was replaced by blackness.

-o-

He woke up panting and drenched with sweat, and it took him a moment to realise that he had broken out of the dream.

'Are you okay bud? And don't say you are, 'cause you're clearly not.' Link turned and saw Faru sitting on the other bed, watching him with concern.

'Er… bad dream. I'm fine now,' he said hurriedly. Faru didn't look convinced but got up anyway.

'Mylin says breakfast's ready, by the way,' he said on his way to the door. Link nodded his thanks and pulled on his tunic, but more slowly than usual. His head was buzzing with the memory of the dream. Inspiration struck him suddenly as he remembered that every night he'd had a dream, Zelda had had one too. Hopefully she could help him understand his. But then Link remembered how he had left things with Zelda the night before, and suddenly a long deep conversation with her didn't sound so attractive. He sighed, but shrugged and went downstairs. He and Zelda were supposed to leave for Faron Woods this morning, and there would be plenty of time to talk about his dream later. All he had to do was avoid her until the embarrassment died down.

-o-

When he eventually made it out into the hall he immediately saw Zelda coming out of her room. She stared at him for a moment then dropped her eyes to the floor. They headed for the stairs in silence, provoking an awkward moment when both reached them at the same time.

'You go first,' Link said.

'No, you go.'

'Really, you.'

'You go.'

'That's pathetic,' a voice chimed in behind them. Link turned to see Quin watching them, hands on her hips. 'Ladies first. Zelda, go down.' Zelda obeyed gladly, and Link was about to follow when Quin grabbed his arm. 'I'm guessing you haven't talked to her?' Link muttered something about 'no time'. Quin sighed. 'This isn't going to work! You and her have adventuring to do. You know, slaying monsters, fighting dragons. Heroic stuff. You need to be able to count on each other to cooperate, and not stand around looking awkward. Talk to her, or I will.' With the threat hanging in the air she went down, leaving a despondent Link standing alone.

'As if it's that easy,' he muttered. Sighing, he went downstairs. The rest of his friends were already awake, despite the fact that it was before dawn. Zelda was standing in a corner and met Link's eyes briefly, then hurriedly turned away and started talking to Cariad. Link joined Faru at the table and started picking at his breakfast. Quin sat down opposite him and glared.

'Talk. To. Her.'

'I will,' Link muttered. 'Just not yet.' Quin huffed and rolled her eyes.

'Fine. I give up on you two. Just hurry up and get a move on. Don't you have something to do?' Link nodded, and bolted down the rest of the food. He sighed, steeling himself, then went over to Zelda and cleared his throat. She turned in surprise and blushed deeply.

'We should probably get going,' he told her. She nodded and went back upstairs to gather her things. Link followed, catching sight of Quin winking at him as he went. When they were safely out of sight, Link grabbed Zelda's arm. 'Zelda. We need to talk about what happened.'

'No, we don't,' she replied. 'Nothing happened. And nothing's going to happen.' Link was dumbfounded.

'But… last night, I thought you wanted to-'

'Yes, so did I. And then I thought about it for a bit, and I realised how close we were to making a really stupid mistake. I was… vulnerable last night. Worried. Scared about Casineb and Demise. It's not going to happen again.' Link sighed.

'So you really don't want to-' Zelda looked at him.

'I don't know. Maybe there is an "us", or there could be someday, or maybe there couldn't be. What I do know is that right now, we have a job to do. And we can't afford to get distracted by personal stuff. Let's just focus on freeing Faron and defeating Casineb. After that… well, we'll see.' With that she went into her room and closed the door.

Link watched her go, deflated. He knew what she said made sense, and it relieved him of the stress of trying to make a relationship work. But he was also disappointed that she regarded their almost-kiss as a mistake. Sighing, he went to get his equipment. A small candle of hope still burned inside of him though, thinking about what might happen after Casineb was defeated. It was as good as incentive as any to keep going.

-o-

A few minutes later he and Zelda were back downstairs, bidding their friends farewell. While Zelda hugged Mylin Quin drew Link to one side.

'Well? Did you talk to her?' she asked eagerly.

'Yes. It's complicated.' Quin sighed.

'When isn't it? But at least you did it. I'm proud of you,' she said, hugging Link. He smiled and returned to the group.

'Any idea when you'll be back, bud?' Faru asked. Link shrugged.

'Not sure. Hopefully we'll be a few days at most, but it could take longer. We don't know what we're going to find in the forest.' Faru smiled grimly.

'Take care of yourself, bud.' Link nodded. Having said their last goodbyes, Link and Zelda left the inn and went out into the courtyard, untying the horses in silence. Finally Zelda stopped and looked at Link.

'This is weird.'

'You don't say,' Link replied, not meeting her eyes. She gave him a Look.

'Okay… well, how about we just forget it ever happened. Go back to before, when we were just friends.' Link looked up at this.

'You mean, now we're more than just friends?'

'You know we are,' Zelda replied, frustrated. 'We're… weird now. But we need to stop being weird, so from now on, we don't talk about it, we don't think about it, we pretend it never happened. Alright?' Link sighed.

'Alright.' Zelda nodded in satisfaction and led Rhiannon back out into the crowded early-morning streets of Hyrule Town. Link shook his head and looked at Epona.

'Girls, eh?' he asked her. Epona whinnied and tossed her head impatiently. 'Oh, don't tell me you're on her side!' Link said with a smile. The mare stared at him with one brown eye.

'Link? Are you talking to your horse?' a voice asked from above. Link looked up and saw Cariad leaning out a window above him, staring down in concern.

'No, of course not. I was just… thinking aloud.'

'Right…' Cariad didn't look convinced. Link stuck his tongue out at her, making the younger girl laugh, and led Epona out of the courtyard, following Zelda.

-o-

By the time the sun rose they were already galloping across Hyrule Field to the south, leaving Hyrule Town far behind them. The noise of the pounding hooves and the wind whistling in their ears made it impossible to talk, which Link was glad about. Zelda had insisted they head for the forest as quickly as possible, hoping to make it there before sunset. Link agreed; he hadn't forgotten about Hyra.

Suddenly he thought he heard another set of hoofbeats behind him. Turning round in confusion his eyes widened when he saw a large boar-like creature with burning red eyes close behind him, with two green, horned, Hylianoid creatures riding on its back. As Link watched in horror, one of the green creatures raised a bow and released an arrow straight at Link's head. He ducked just in time, but the thing was already reloading.

'Zelda! Turn around!' he yelled, but his friend didn't hear him. Turning, he saw that the monster was now aiming at Zelda. Link panicked, but managed to draw his own bow. The boar creature tossed its head, momentarily throwing the green monsters off balance and giving Link time to shoot an arrow of his own. It hit the first, unarmed monster in the chest, which fell off its mount and was instantly trampled under its hooves. But the second one re-aimed at Link, an evil grin on its face. Suddenly the boar realised that the monster steering it was no longer on its back, causing it to veer off in a different direction and throwing the other monster off its back. The noise of this made Zelda finally turn around, and Link saw the shock on her face as she saw their pursuers. Turning back to face forward he yelled,

'What were those things?'

'The beasts are Bullbos, and the monsters- Bulblins!' she yelled back.

'Okay,' Link nodded.

'No, Link, Bulblins! There!' Link looked where she was pointing and saw three more Bullbos, each with two riders, catching up fast. He drew his bow again and took out one of the archers, but two more arrows whistled past his head. Fortunately throughout the chase Epona had the sense to keep galloping at full speed, but the Bullbos were surprisingly fast for such heavy creatures. As one drew up beside Link he drew his sword and slashed at the Bulblins, causing the Bullbo to roar and dash off away from the riders. Zelda had pulled out her own bow and quickly dispatched another two Bulblins, making the other Bullbo join its friend in its rampage.

The riders on the final Bullbo seemed to reach an agreement of some kind, as the one in front hauled on the reins and steered their mount away, galloping off to the north-east. Once he was sure they were gone, Link slowed Epona to a halt, allowing his exhausted horse to rest.

'You did great, girl,' he reassured her. Zelda also stopped, patting Rhiannon gently. But she was staring at Link's horse.

'Link! Epona's hurt!' Link looked in shock and saw a Bulblin arrow sticking out of Epona's flank, which was already stained with blood. He quickly dismounted and pulled the arrow out, causing Epona to whinny in pain and fear. As he patted her soothingly, trying to reassure her, Zelda hurried over with a bottle of red potion in her hand. She poured it over Epona's wounds, the potion mixing with the blood. Link held Epona's reins as she reared up, hoping that the potion had the same effect on animals as it did on Hylians. It seemed as though it did, as the arrow-puncture healed over instantly. Link sighed in relief, then looked at Zelda.

'Thank you,' he said. She smiled, but it turned to a frown as she looked off in the direction the Bulblins had fled in. 'Do you think they'll come back?' Link asked her.

'I don't know,' she replied. 'I've never seen monsters like that before, only read about them in books. There's supposed to be some kind of badlands to the east, where monsters of all kinds roam. But no-one's been there for years, and the monsters have never come out before. If those Bulblins are from there, they're a long way from home. I think I can guess why that is.' Link nodded. The monsters were likely a sign of Casineb's growing power. He shivered.

'And those other Bullbos? Where are they going to go?' Zelda shrugged.

'They're hardly the most intelligent of creatures. They might find their way back to their home, or they might just wander around aimlessly.'

'Aren't they dangerous?'

'Not without a rider. Actually, left to their own devices, they're pretty peaceful creatures.' Link raised a doubting eyebrow at her.

'Those hell-hogs are peaceful? Why am I finding that hard to believe?' Zelda glared at him.

'Apparently, the Bulblins train their Bullbos with cruelty, using whips and starvation to teach them. If they're left alone, they just mind their own business. If you don't provoke them, they're quite happy.'

'Right…' Link said. Whatever Zelda claimed to have read in a book, he didn't think those monsters were 'peaceful' by any stretch.

'We should stop by Mara's house,' Zelda continued. 'Epona needs her attention and Rhiannon could use a rest too. And anyway, it would be unwise to take them to the House of the Fallen with us, so her house is the safest place.' Link agreed, and led Epona on foot to the hills where their friend's house was. As they approached they could hear the redhead's voice talking to someone. Link frowned.

'Is she talking to Taro?'

'More likely to be Macha,' Zelda said with a grin. She was proved right as they caught sight of Mara deep in conversation with her own dappled-grey horse. But when she saw her friends she squealed with delight and ran over, enveloping both of them in a hug.

'What are you two doing here?' she asked, but her joy turned to anger when she caught sight of Epona. Link followed her gaze to the blood that still stained Epona's flank. He had done his best to wipe it off, but some still remained. 'What in Din's name did you do to her? She's hurt!'

'We ran into some monsters on the way here, she-' Link began, but Mara wasn't listening.

'Oh, you poor, poor thing. Come on, _I'll_ take care of you,' she said with a glare at Link. His shoulders sagged, but Zelda put a hand on his arm.

'You know Mara's crazy about that horse,' she said. Link conceded this, and followed Mara into the paddock behind her house where Rhiannon and Macha were already greeting each other.

'Mara-' he began.

'I hope you've come to apologise!' she said angrily.

'It wasn't Link's fault, really,' Zelda came to Link's aid. 'He's sorry she's hurt, but we know she'll in good hands here while we're away, right?' she said, elbowing Link, who nodded frantically. Mara turned.

'You mean you're not staying?'

'Sorry Mara,' Zelda said. 'We need to go to Faron Woods. It's important. But on the bright side, that means you get to spend more time with Epona, and that's good, right?'

'I guess…' Mara said. 'Just be careful, alright?' Link nodded as she hugged them goodbye. 'I'll look after Epona for you. But don't be too long, or I might not give her back!' she joked. Link looked back one last time as Epona neighed loudly.

'I'll miss you too,' he said with a smile as he and Zelda headed for the forest.

-o-

As they approached on foot Link felt a certain amount of apprehension. He was happy to return to his forest home, but it also made him think of Fallhollow Village, which he was in no hurry to return to. He also wondered how much the forest had changed in his absence. He noticed Zelda watching him.

'Nervous?'

'A bit,' he admitted. 'You?' She nodded.

'Yeah. A bit.' Taking a deep breath, Link stepped beneath the trees once more. It all looked the same, the green leaves, the dappled shade, the bright blue sky above, but Link felt ill at ease.

'Something's different,' he whispered. Zelda nodded. Link had a strange feeling, a kind of intangible pressure, like the calm before a storm. 'Which way?' he asked, trying to ignore the sensation.

'The House of the Fallen is that way, I think,' Zelda replied. Link set off briskly in the direction she indicated. Soon he began to see fallen leaves on the ground, and lifeless trees replaced the fresh green ones.

'We're getting close!' he said happily, but Zelda looked worried.

'No, we're not. We're still a few hours away from the House.' Link frowned.

'Then why does everything look like this?'

'I think the curse is expanding. You know, the one from the House. Maybe now we freed the other dragons, Casineb is channelling all its power into this place.' Link balled his hands into fists. How dare the demon kill _his_ forest? But he stopped and turned when he saw Zelda looking up at the sky. 'Link, we should turn back.'

'Why? We have to help Faron! We have to break the curse!' Zelda shook her head slowly.

'Look. The sun is nearly setting.'

'So?'

'So, we won't be able to break the curse before nightfall. We shouldn't be near the House after dark. We need to get away from the cursed forest.' Link was confused.

'What are you so afraid of?'

'Link, remember when we first saw the House and I told you about the fallen things there? Well, those things stay in the House in the day, but they come out at night.' Link shrugged.

'So what? We've fought monsters before.' Zelda shook her head again.

'Not like these ones. I know running away doesn't come naturally to you, but please just trust me on this. We need to get away from here, now.' Link sighed in frustration, but whatever the fallen monsters that lived in the House were, they scared Zelda, which Link knew should probably scare him too. Reluctantly, he followed Zelda back the way they had come.

-o-

Soon they stumbled across a small track, nearly completely obscured by the leaf litter.

'An animal?' Zelda asked.

'No, this is Hylian,' Link replied, excited. He remembered what Faru and Quin had said, that the other villagers had fled from Fallhollow Village but stayed in the forest. The track looked fresh, and Link hoped it would lead to his friends. 'This way!' he said, taking off through the trees. In the fading light Zelda struggled to follow him, but eventually she realised where the track was leading.

'Link! They went to that huge tree!' Link looked up, and saw that they were indeed heading straight for the massive tree where Faru had hidden Link's sword on the day of the Ceremony. Grinning, he sped up. Other tracks were now converging with the one they were one, making a large trail. Finally he burst out into the clearing, and a very welcome sight greeted his eyes. Surrounding the tree were campfires, with people gathered around them, laughing and smiling. He counted quickly, and laughed out loud with relief as he realised that all the villagers were here. Everyone had survived the fire, and they were all safe. As he stood there, a small girl caught sight of him and ran over.

'LINK!' He smiled and picked her up as she ran to him.

'Lia! You're okay!' Lia's twin sister Voxa joined her and Link hugged them both. By now the adults had seen him and they all rushed over to him, talking at full volume. Link smiled, but looked around for the one person who was missing. He caught sight of Zelda hovering at the edge of the clearing. She met his eyes and nodded, then turned away and went back into the forest. He smiled gratefully as he realised she was leaving him to let him appreciate the time with his friends alone.

He couldn't watch her for long however as he was quickly hustled over to the nearest campfire. A bowl of warm soup was placed in his hands and a blanket was draped over his shoulders. Lia sat on one knee and Voxa on the other, with the other villagers crowded around them.

'Link! Tell us what happened!' Voxa demanded, and Link happily obliged. He told his friends everything, leaving out the scariest and saddest bits for the sake of the children, who enjoyed his tale thoroughly. After he finished Link was allowed to drink his soup in peace while Jorin, the twins' mother, filled Link in on what had happened to them since he left. Her story tied in with Faru and Quin's, except that when those two had left, the other villagers had decided to stay in the forest, unwilling to leave their lifelong home. Jorin was relieved to hear that the other teenagers were safe in Hyrule Town, but everyone had been most worried about Link.

By this time the sun had set and a warm evening breeze floated through the clearing.

'So how is everyone?' Link asked. Jorin shrugged.

'As well as can be expected. Don't worry about us though. We're used to surviving in the forest, and at least we're all together.' Link nodded, but the setting sun had worried him. The trees around the clearing were all fresh and green, so Link knew the curse was still a long way from them, but he didn't know how long it would last. He had only been gone for about a week, but already the curse had spread through much of the forest. When the twins were safely asleep and no-one seemed to be listening, Link pulled Jorin to one side.

'Jorin, I don't want to worry you, but there's something you should know.' He proceeded to tell her about the curse, and the monsters that followed. 'I'm going to try to fix this tomorrow, but if I don't manage, you and the others need to get away from here. Out of the forest, I mean. Hopefully it won't come to that, but if the curse spreads much more Faron Woods won't be safe anymore. There's a town to the north, you'll be safe there.'

Link wasn't sure about sending his friends straight towards Casineb, but he still thought Hyrule Town was quite safe - and anyway, it was better than the forest. He just hoped he and Zelda would be able to break the curse before it got to his friends. He sighed as he wondered where Zelda was. He knew she was more than able to care of herself, but Link still worried. But eventually, exhaustion overtook him and he fell asleep by the embers of the dying fire.

-o-

Link woke before dawn the next morning and tried to get up without waking anyone. This proved difficult however as Lia and Voxa had snuggled up to him at some point during the night. When he finally made it upright he was greeted by Jorin, apparently the only other person awake.

'Sleep well?' she asked, and Link nodded. 'Good. I'm glad you're up early, because I think you should probably get going.' Link was alarmed by this.

'What's happened?'

'Remember that curse you were talking about? Well…' She turned and gestured to the south side of the clearing, the part closest to the House of the Fallen. Link gasped. The night before the trees had been full and green, but now they were turning orange. The ground was already littered with dead leaves. Link shook his head in disbelief. The curse had moved faster than he had thought possible. Clearly, it was accelerating.

'Jorin, this is worse than I thought. You don't have time to see if I can do this or not, you can't risk spending another night in the forest. You need to get everyone out, now.' Jorin looked saddened, but nodded.

'Alright.' Link smiled grimly and gathered his things, ready to go, but her hand on his shoulder stopped him. 'Link… You've grown into a real man now. Your parents would be honoured to have you as their son.' Link stared at her, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. He had never known his parents; growing up, he had been raised by Jorin and the other adults, but it wasn't the same as real parents. The thought of them now, watching him with pride, made him indescribably happy.

'Thank you,' he whispered. Jorin smiled and hugged him.

'Go do them proud.' Link nodded, and left the clearing silently.

-o-

He set off in the approximate direction of the House of the Fallen, guided by the ever-sicker forest. Soon the trees around him were rotten and completely bare of leaves. The only sound was Link's footsteps through the rustling leaves; all animals in this part of the forest had left a long time ago. A cracking sound to his left made Link turn, sword drawn. The sun wasn't quite up yet so he was still wary of monsters. But a thick mist had gathered, wrapping round Link's legs and making it hard to see. The cracking sound came again, like something stepping on a rotten branch. Link narrowed his eyes.

'Who's there?' he yelled, half-hoping there would be no answer. But he was relieved with the one he got.

'Link? Is that you?' Zelda's voice asked.

'Zelda! Over here!' The mist parted and Zelda stood in front of Link, her sword also drawn. 'Zelda! Thank the Goddesses you're okay! I didn't know where you were.'

'Me neither! When I saw the curse advancing I went to the clearing, but I couldn't see you there. I guessed you'd already headed for the House, but I couldn't find you anywhere.'

'Well, we've found each other now,' Link said. As Zelda approached he saw she had a mark on her arm, almost like a bite. 'What happened?'

'I was attacked. And apparently red potions don't heal the wounds from these monsters.' Link gulped at the bad news.

'Well… I guess we'd better be extra careful then, right?' he said nervously. Zelda made a face.

'I suppose. Or just avoid fighting these things at all costs.' Link nodded, and they started walking towards the House.

'So… what are these things?'

'The one that got me was a Deku Baba. They're carnivorous plants, very aggressive. They best way to kill them is to slice through their stem, but that means getting close, within range of the teeth, and… well, you can see how that worked out.' Link nodded.

'And what else? What are the terrifying monsters that come out after dark?'

'There are Bokoblins here-' Link scoffed.

'Bokoblins? They're nothing to be afraid of!' But Zelda shook her head.

'These ones are. They're like… zombies or something. They take a lot of hits to knock down, and after a while they just get back up again. They can't be defeated, you have to run away from them, but that's not always possible.' Link nodded.

'So carnivorous plants and zombie Bokoblins. I'm starting to see why you avoid this place.' Zelda smiled grimly, then stopped.

'Link! Did you see that?'

'See what?' Link asked, alarmed.

'Over there! I saw something green moving.' Link peered through the thick fog.

'I'm not seeing anything…' he said slowly, but drew his sword nonetheless. 'Wait here,' he instructed Zelda. He crept cautiously forward through the trees, waiting tensely for a glimpse of the mysterious creature. He doubted it was friendly. Suddenly a green blur rushed past him, knocking him to the ground. He quickly scrambled to his feet, but his assailant was nowhere to be seen. He heard an angelic laugh behind him, and spun round, sword raised to strike. But he nearly dropped it in surprise when he saw who it was. A glowing green light hovered in front of his eyes, giggling.

'Tam!' he said in relief. 'You frightened the life out of me!' She giggled harder.

'Sorr-ee. I just wanted a bit of fun! It's been so boring here since you and Zelda left.' _Zelda_ , Link thought, remembering his friend back in the fog. It surrounded him, so that he had no idea which direction he had come from. He gave up trying to see through it, then looked back at Tam, glowing brightly. _Hmm_ , he thought.

'Tam, I may have an idea,' he said with a grin. 'How about a race?'

-o-

'Hurry up!' Tam yelled, running off between the trees. She was in her child form now, making her an easy-to-follow beacon. Link laughed as he tried to keep up with her. Her glowing shape made the perfect guide through the fog. Soon they were back at the clearing where Link had left Zelda. The two girls hugged each other while Link tried to catch his breath. As he did so he caught sight of the sky, where the sun shone brightly. However, its rays did nothing to disperse the fog. Link caught Zelda's eye, and she nodded.

'The fog is part of the curse from the House,' she said. By this time Tam had calmed down somewhat. In her sprite form she flew over to Link and orbited his head at high speed.

'Where are we going? What are we going to do?' she asked excitedly. Link laughed.

' _We_ are going somewhere very dangerous to do something very risky. _You_ are going to stay here and be good.' Tam pouted.

'I don't see why you two get to have all the fun. I'm coming too!' Link exchanged a look with Zelda.

'Tam, it's too dangerous. We just don't want you to get hurt,' she said gently. Tam huffed.

'That's a stupid excuse! You just don't want me to come with you because you think I'll spoil everything for you!' She looked dejected and her glow faded slightly. Link looked at Zelda again, who gave him a _How bad could it be?_ look. Link sighed.

'Alright. You can come with us.' Tam immediately regained her energy.

'Yippee! Come on, the House is this way!' she said, shooting off between the trees, leaving Link and Zelda to race after her.

-o-

Before long they stood on the bridge above the House of the Fallen, Tam hovering above Link's shoulder. The fog gathered in the valley below them, so only the tip of the House could be seen. The pressure Link had felt the day before was back, and the thick air deadened all sound.

'How do we get down there?' Link asked. Zelda shrugged.

'Not sure. We could jump, but there could be anything down there in that fog. We could land right in the middle of a bunch of Deku Babas.'

'I'll go first then!' Tam said happily, dropping down through the mist.

'No!' Link and Zelda yelled simultaneously, but Tam vanished from their sight. But then her voice floated up from below.

'Um, guys? It's not that bad down here, really. Just some weird rocks.' Link sighed in relief, then considered how to join the sprite. Zelda was, as usual, way ahead of him. She pulled out one of her clawshots and shot it into the edge of the bridge, then jumped over the edge. Link could hear the chain creaking as she disappeared into the haze below, but soon he heard the thump of her feet hitting solid ground.

'Are you coming, Link?' she yelled up.

'Give me a minute!' Link muttered to himself. He did the same as Zelda and soon his friends reappeared as he descended. Releasing his clawshot, he fell the last few feet and looked cautiously around him. As Tam had said, the valley floor was deserted apart from several piles of curiously shaped rocks. He stepped closer to one pile and examined it carefully. It looked almost like…

'Is it just me, or do these rocks look like bones?' he said aloud. Zelda and Tam joined him.

'You're right, they do a bit. I wonder what from?' Tam asked. Zelda was thoughtful.

'Looks like a monster. Well, whatever it is, at least it can't hurt us anymore.' But she spoke too soon as suddenly purple smoke billowed through the skeleton, and as they watched in horror it rose into the air, reforming the shape it had once had in life. The smoke gathered more thickly, and when it dispersed a Bokoblin appeared, but not like the ones Link had seen before. This one was a dark pink, with a tuft of white hair and one glowing yellow eye. It didn't carry a weapon, instead stretching its skeletal hands out towards the trio, tongue sticking out and moaning as it walked.

'Eek!' Tam cried and flew up to Link's shoulder, hovering close to his head for protection.

'Zelda? What… is that?' Link asked, dreading the answer.

'It's a cursed Bokoblin!' Zelda said. 'You can't fight it! Run!' Link obeyed instantly, following Zelda up the valley to the relative safety of the House. But the other piles of bones began to reanimate as they passed by. The lurching totter of the Bokoblins was deceptively fast, and one soon caught up to Link. He nearly fell as in leapt onto his back, trying to bite at his head. Tam flew from her perch on Link's shoulder straight into the Bokoblin's face, momentarily disorientating it and allowing Link to throw it off. As it fell he drew his sword and stabbed it through, knocking it onto its back. But mere moments after it hit the ground it picked itself back up and began lurching towards Link again. As he stood in shock Zelda grabbed his arm.

'I told you! They keep coming back to life!' she yelled as she dragged him up the slope. Suddenly the dark entrance of the House of the Fallen loomed out of the mist, and for a moment Link faltered. But the moans behind him told him he had no choice, so he and Zelda ran inside, Tam following. They stopped just beyond the entrance, but turning Link saw to his horror that the Bokoblins showed no signs of stopping. The nearest was just about to enter the House when a wall of stone shot out of the ceiling, blocking the entrance.

Link, Zelda and Tam all sighed in relief, but stopped as they realised they were now sealed inside.

-o-

A/N: Yay, Tam's back! I think she's probably my favourite character in this story. Her or Quin.

Oh, and remember those Bullbos from before? Well, keep remembering them. They may return...


	12. Chapter 12: The House of the Fallen

A/N: I put off writing this chapter for ages, but eventually my posting was catching up with my writing so I had to do it. This place does creep me out a bit though (even though it's only a figment of my imagination. I'm weird like that). I'm glad it isn't a real Zelda location. Still, I think this temple is better than the last two, so let me know what you think!

-o-

Link surveyed the interior of the House. It was cold inside, and some of the fog had made it in, swirling across the floor. The walls and floor were dark wood, with no windows; the only light was from the torches dotted around the room. Link drew his sword.

'What good is that going to do against creatures that can't be killed?' Zelda asked sarcastically.

'It makes me feel better to have a weapon,' Link replied. 'And anyway, maybe I can't kill them but I bet having your head chopped off would slow those things down a bit!' Tam flew back behind Link, burying herself in the back of his tunic.

'It's scary in here! Tell me when I can come out again, okay Link?' her muffled voice said. Zelda sighed.

'Well, guess we'd better get moving. And Link, if at all possible, can we try not to split up this time?' Link was surprised, but realised that the eerie atmosphere in the house was getting to Zelda more than she liked to admit. He took her hand.

'I'm not going anywhere,' he said reassuringly. Zelda smiled slightly. On the other side of the room was a wooden door, and Link opened it hesitatingly. The room on the other side looked like a forest, with walls made from vine-covered trees. The ceiling, or perhaps the sky, was dark, but there were torches here too. A narrow path of boards was laid into the ground, with a locked door at the far end. Link spied a small treasure chest high up on one of the trees. He could reach it by climbing the vines, but as he got closer he saw spiders as big as his head with vicious-looking teeth crawling all other them. Shuddering, he pulled out his bow and shot them down.

Signalling Zelda and Tam to wait below, he quickly clambered up the vines and pulled himself up on the branch with the chest. He balanced carefully and began to walk out to the chest when a face full of teeth descended from above and dangled in front of him, knocking him off balance. He managed to grab onto the edge of the branch as he fell, manoeuvring himself slowly back towards the trunk of the tree, where he could get his bearings. The monster snapped at him, but fortunately it couldn't reach him. Link noticed it looked plant-like, the head suspended on a stem. But he had never seen fangs like that on a plant before.

'That's a Deku Baba!' Zelda yelled from below. 'They sometimes grow on the ceiling and come down from above. Did I forget to mention that?'

'Might have done!' Link yelled back, still trying to avoid the monster's teeth. He pulled himself back up on the branch and drew his sword and shield. 'Let's try this again,' he muttered. The Baba lunged, and Link raised his shield protectively. The creature bounced off it and recoiled, stunned. Link took the opportunity to slice through the stem with one swipe. The head fell to the ground far below, where it withered immediately.

'You did it! You're the best, Link!' Tam cheered. Link smiled down at her, then went to open the treasure chest. When he opened it however, he saw that it was completely empty. While puzzled over this Link heard a shout from below.

'Link! Need some help down here!' Zelda yelled. Peering over the branch Link gasped as he saw three enormous spiders circling round Zelda. 'Skulltulas!' she shouted up.

'Where did they come from?' Link muttered, guessing that opening the empty chest had triggered a trap of some sort. Link was about to jump down to help Zelda, but realised that he was too high up; he would break every bone in his body if he fell. But it looked as though Zelda was managing fine on her own, as Link saw her expertly flip one Skulltula onto its back, leaving it to waggle its legs in the air helplessly. As she turned to deal with another one, Link pulled out his bow and shot the overturned spider in its soft stomach, killing it.

Zelda managed to flip another one, which Link shot, but the third one was more intelligent. It circled Zelda, keeping just out of reach of her sword. Suddenly Tam flew down from behind Zelda, underneath the monster. She then transformed into her child form, which flipped the Skulltula over easily. Zelda seized her chance and leapt into the air, bringing her sword down on the spider's underbelly. As it exploded into purple smoke Tam changed form again and flew up to Link, elated.

'Link! Link! Did you see that? I helped! I did something!' Link had to laugh at her excitement.

'You were great, Tam.' She changed back into a child and beamed at him, while he considered what to do next. He still had to find a way to open the locked door ahead of them. He caught sight of a patch of vines on the other wall, which didn't quite look like the others surrounding it. As he pulled out his clawshots Tam realised what he was going to do and tugged on his tunic excitedly.

'Ooh, Link, can I come? Please?' she asked. Link sighed.

'Alright. Hold on tight then.' Tam climbed up on his back and put her small arms around his neck. She was surprisingly light, weighing barely anything. 'Ready?' he asked.

'Ready!' He aimed carefully and they shot over to the other vines, which gave way under their combined weight, flinging them into a concealed alcove hidden by the plants. There was another treasure chest here, which fortunately contained the small key they needed. Tam climbed back on Link's back and held on tightly as he lowered them on the clawshot. At the bottom he gave Tam the key and she ran over to the door, while Zelda joined Link.

'Enjoying yourself?' she asked him with a wry smile.

'Well, why not? You've got to admit, temples are more fun with her around, even creepy ones like this.' Zelda sighed.

'Just don't let your guard down. This place is still dangerous, not good for a little kid like her.'

'I understand,' Link said reassuringly. 'You're jealous about all the fun we're having. Don't worry, next time I'll let you ride on my back.' Zelda punched him playfully on the arm. Tam was having trouble with the door: the lock was too high up, and even though she was jumping she was unable to reach it. She tried her sprite form, but immediately dropped the key. Changing back, she looked despondently at Link. He grinned and picked her up, lifting her high enough to unlock the door.

But as it swung slowly open, a high girlish laugh echoed around the room. The trio looked around the room frantically, but there was no-one in sight. Tam reached up and grasped Link's hand in her own small one.

'I'm scared again,' she whispered. Link nodded silently. He didn't want to admit it, but so was he.

-o-

Trying to put the eerie laugh out of his mind, Link surveyed the next room. Or rather, didn't survey it. It was filled with the thick fog from before, so that Link could barely see his own hand in front of his face.

'Tam?' he asked. She swallowed, but nodded and flew ahead of him in her sprite form, clearing the fog slightly. Link took Zelda's hand in his, making her frown. 'So we don't get separated,' he explained, although in truth that was only part of the reason. Whether she realised this or not, she seemed satisfied and walked close to him. Exploring the room was next to impossible, so Link hoped that there wouldn't be any puzzles they needed to solve.

He was about to step forward when he felt a sense of emptiness in front of him. Cautiously he bent down and felt the ground ahead of him. As he had thought, he was standing next to a deep pit in the ground. Tam floated above it, unsure of what he was doing.

'Tam, there's a hole here. Can you go find how wide it is? And if we can't jump over it, can you find us some way across?' he asked. Tam gulped.

'You mean… go by myself?'

'You'll be fine, nothing can hurt you in your sprite form and if there's any danger you can come straight back to us,' Zelda reassured her. Tam's glow flickered for a moment, then she flew cautiously off into the fog. Link shuddered as the thick wall of white closed around him and Zelda. He hadn't realised that when Tam went, they would be alone and blind. Zelda was standing closer to him now, for comfort and also warmth, as the clammy mist settled on her bare arms. Link pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms round her, trying not to shiver. She rested her head on his shoulder, and they stayed like that for a few moments.

'Is this weird for you?' Zelda whispered after a minute.

'What do you mean?'

'Us being so close.' Link hadn't really thought about it that way, so he replied honestly.

'No. It feels nice.' Zelda stirred and raised her head, her blue eyes meeting his. Then she relaxed back onto his shoulder.

'Yeah. It does, doesn't it.' Link smiled, and was about to say something more when Tam returned.

'Okay. I flew all around the room, and I've got good news and bad news for you. The good news is, I found a door on the other side, and it's unlocked. The bad news is… the pit is far too wide to jump over. And it's not the only one.' Tam went on to describe what she had seen of the room: although they didn't realise it, Link and Zelda were standing on a narrow path over an abyss. There was only one route over to the other side, and getting there meant relying on Tam entirely. One misstep would mean plunging to their deaths.

'No pressure then,' Link muttered. Tam swallowed hard.

'I- I don't know if I can do this. I mean, if I get it wrong-'

'You'll do great,' Zelda said. 'You already helped us beat those Skulltulas before, this is much easier. All you need to do is fly along the path, and we'll follow.' Tam paused for a moment, then set off.

'Alright. Just follow exactly where I fly.' As Tam's light illuminated their surroundings, Link saw occasional glimpses of the dark pit below them. He silently thanked the Goddesses Tam had come with them. If they had to do this without her… Link didn't want to think about it. Fortunately it seemed as though there were no enemies in this room, but Link carried his sword in his free hand anyway. Being surprised by a monster here could be deadly. Suddenly Tam stopped.

'Wait here,' she said. 'I need to check something. Do not take a single step forward.' Link and Zelda obeyed, but the strict orders worried them. They watched as the dim green light faded into the fog, then returned a few moments later. 'Just as I thought. This next bit is going to be tricky.'

'What do you mean "tricky"?' Link asked. 'Wasn't that last bit tricky enough?'

'Apparently not,' the sprite replied. 'We're very close to the door, but the rest of the path is crumbly. It won't take your weight.'

'Then what do we do?' Zelda asked.

'If you run over it, you might just make it in time. But running in a place like this…' She didn't need to finish her sentence. Link knew that what she was suggesting was very dangerous. Unfortunately, it also looked like the only way to get to the other side. He sighed.

'Ready?' he asked Zelda. She nodded, but looked understandably nervous. Link steeled himself, then nodded to Tam. At his signal he and Zelda took off running, Tam hovering like a beacon at every corner of the path. But as she had said, the path was crumbling. Link could feel it shifting under his feet, and more than once he felt thin air as he pushed off. He didn't dare think about what would happen if he fell.

'Nearly there!' Tam yelled finally. Link redoubled his efforts and after a long moment felt solid rock under his feet. Panting with relief and exhaustion, he looked around, but Zelda was nowhere to be seen. 'Zelda!' he yelled frantically.

'I'm down here!' a voice from below shouted. Link rushed to the edge of the platform, but could see nothing through the thick fog. 'I'm okay! I fell, but I grabbed onto a rock. But I can't pull myself up!' Tam flew past Link and vanished from his sight. A moment later she returned.

'She's there, but quite a long way down. You can't reach her from up here.' Link sighed and thought for a moment. Then he had an idea and pulled out his clawshot.

'Tam, I'm going to shoot this down, but I need to make sure I don't hit Zelda. When it's out, you go down and help her grab onto it, alright?' Tam nodded, and Link shot out to the side, to ensure he wouldn't hit his friend by mistake. Tam flew down following it, and Link heard muffled voices below. Finally he felt a reassuring weight on the chain, and reeled it in. Zelda rose slowly out of the fog, collapsing when she made it to solid ground. 'Are you alright?' Link asked, concerned. Zelda nodded, out of breath.

'Let's just… keep going. I want to get out of here.' Link agreed and helped her up. With Tam hovering nervously behind them, they went through the door at the end of the room.

-o-

The next room was mercifully free of the claustrophobic fog, which Link was silently thankful for. The room was small, and lit only by a few torches along the walls. However, Link's attention was taken by what lay in the middle of the floor: a pile of large bones, and in front of them, two massive swords, driven into the floor. Link swallowed nervously. This reminded him too much of the cursed Bokoblins from before, except these bones looked much bigger, and the Bokoblins didn't carry swords that could cut Link in two with one slice.

Three doors led off from the room, but all were barred. Link drew his sword, as did Zelda, and suddenly a small puff of purple smoke appeared above the pile of bones. Link braced himself for what would come out of it, but just as quickly it disappeared. A round white object fell out of the air, bounced down the pile and came to a stop in front of it. Link heard Zelda gasp as she realised what it was: a skull. Nothing else seemed to be happening though, so Link took a cautious step forward.

Suddenly the same high eerie laugh from before rang out across the room. Link spun round, trying to find the source, but there was no-one there. As he turned he saw the skull again. Two blue lights flickered in its eye-sockets, like cold fire in the place where eyes should be. The skull rose in the air as if picked up by some invisible hand, and the bones rose into place underneath it, forming a skeleton taller than Link. It looked around, bones cracking as it did so, and caught sight of the trio – or rather, duo, as Tam had hidden behind Link again. It stepped forward and wrenched the swords out of the ground, screaming at the Hylians.

The monster advanced towards Link, holding its swords parallel across its body. Link got a few quick slashes in between them, chipping at the ribcage, before he had to roll out of the way as it swung both swords simultaneously. Zelda had the same idea and slashed at its back, and it quickly turned to her in anger. It held its sword vertically this time, so Zelda attacked vertically.

The skeleton staggered into the middle of the room, its bones badly damaged. Link prepared to finish it off, but suddenly the skeleton looked up to the ceiling and screamed again. Purple smoke billowed through its rib cage, and when it vanished the bones were repaired. Link and Zelda looked at each other in confusion. Having an enemy that could regenerate made defeating it much harder.

'What do we do?' Link asked, dodging as the skeleton swiped at him.

'We can't give it the opportunity to do that again. Just keep attacking!' was Zelda's reply.

'Roger that,' Link said, hacking at the skeleton. This time when it counterattacked he raised his shield, making the sword bounce off harmlessly. There was a clattering sound, and Link was shocked to see that the impact had made monster's arms fall off. He took the opportunity to deal more damage while Zelda attacked from behind. After a few moments the skeleton's arms reattached, but its bones were already very damaged. It tried to stagger away from its attackers to heal, but Link didn't give it the chance.

He did one final spin attack and the bones collapsed, leaving the skull bouncing around on the floor. It hopped over to the bones and the purple smoke began to form, ready to rebuild the skeleton, but Link leapt into the air and brought his sword down on the skull, going straight through. The blue glow faded from the eye-sockets, and the whole pile of bones vanished into smoke. Link twirled his sword in the air, then sheathed it, satisfied that the monster wasn't going to recover from that. Tam cautiously floated out from behind Link's back.

'Is it gone?' she asked nervously. Link smiled and held out his finger for her to rest on.

'It's gone, you're safe now. Don't worry.' Turning to Zelda, he asked: 'What was that thing?'

'I'm not sure, I've never seen one before. I think it was a Stalfos – the reanimated remains of a dead soldier.' Link shivered. He felt a lot less happy about killing the monster if it had once been a person. 'Don't feel bad,' Zelda said, reading his mind. 'Whatever that thing was before, it was a monster now. And if the soldier's spirit was still in there, all you did was set it free.' Link nodded, unconvinced.

Suddenly the bars over the three doors lifted. Link was about to try opening the first one when the doorknob of the middle one started rattling. Drawing his sword, he advanced slowly. Whoever was behind the door managed to get it to creak slowly open. Link peered into the darkness inside, trying to see who, or what, had opened it. But all he could see was an empty room. The door had opened all by itself.

-o-

The trio went in to examine the room. Link looked hard at the door as he passed, but it looked normal, giving him no explanation for the mystery. Inside was a plain room lit by torches, with dark wood all around, similar to the entrance to the House. Link was just testing the back wall for hidden passages when he felt a movement of air behind him. He turned, and in the doorway stood a young girl of about twelve.

'Hello,' she said, seemingly oblivious to the shock she had caused the others.

'Who… are you?' Zelda asked. The girl looked at her as if seeing her for the first time.

'I'm Meg.' Link stared at her. The girl looked Hylian, but somehow still strange. Her hair was purple, pulled up into two buns, and she was carrying a burning torch, with a purple flame. She wore a circlet of red stones around her head. 'It's rude to stare,' she said, looking straight at Link with a piercing gaze. He looked away hurriedly, but not before noticing that her eyes were the same shade of purple as her hair and torch.

'What are you doing here?' Zelda asked. 'This is no place for a child!' At once Meg's manner changed: she looked a lot younger and more frightened.

'I don't want to be here! I used to live out in the forest with my sisters. But a while ago these scary-looking men came past, so me and my sisters ran away. We came to this place and the monsters scared us, so we ran inside to be safe. But now we're stuck in here, and my sisters are gone! Please, you have to help me!' Link's suspicion melted away in the face of the girl's anguish.

'Of course! Just tell us where your sisters are and we'll help you get out.'

'That's the problem,' Meg replied. 'I don't know where they are. That nasty skeleton locked me in this room, but my sisters could be anywhere in the House. Can you come with me to look for them?' Link nodded.

'We'd be happy to help.' Meg smiled, and led the trio back out into the Stalfos chamber. As they went Tam whispered in Link's ear.

'There's something wrong with that girl! Can't you see it?' But Link pushed her off. It sounded like Meg's sufferings had started because of Branford and his men, so Link felt responsible for helping her. True, the girl was a little strange, but Link supposed that was only natural considering she had lived in a wild forest with only other children for company. Meg turned to look at the other doors.

'I haven't been through either of those. But if you two split up, we could search both at the same time. I'll come with you,' she said, coming over to Link.

'Your friends should go through the other door.' Link saw Zelda frown at Meg's bossiness.

'Wait one minute,' he told Meg. 'I'll just talk to my friends, and then we'll go.' Meg nodded in satisfaction, while Link pulled Zelda over into a corner, Tam following.

'I don't like this. There's something not right about her!' Zelda said. Tam bobbed up and down in the air frantically, the sprite equivalent of nodding.

'Yes! She's weird!'

'I just don't think we should be splitting up,' Zelda continued. Link sighed.

'Why are you being so paranoid? She's a kid. What's she going to do? She's just a little girl who got lost in a scary building and wants to find her family. What's so weird about that?' Zelda and Tam looked at each other, and seemed to come to some silent agreement.

'Fine,' said Zelda. 'We'll split up. But Tam's going with you two.' Link opened his mouth to argue, but thought better of it.

'Fine. Can I go now?' Zelda glared at him, but Link wasn't looking. 'Alright Meg. Which way do you want to go?' Meg smiled and gestured to one of the doors. Tam shot over and hovered just above Link's shoulder, and Link could feel the suspicion radiating off of her.

'I'll go this way then,' Zelda said, heading through the other door.

'I don't like her,' Meg said when Zelda was gone.

'That's a mean thing to say!' Tam said indignantly. Meg shrugged.

'She doesn't like me. Why should I like her?' Sensing that Tam was about to start an argument, Link interrupted.

'Let's get going.'

'Oh, wait a moment!' Meg said. 'I forgot something!' She ran back into the room she had been locked in, and gestured for Link to follow. When he saw the room again, he gasped. A large treasure chest now rested in the middle of the room. 'There's something in there you should take with you,' Meg announced enigmatically, giving no explanation as to how the chest had appeared. Link opened it, and lifted out a large wooden boomerang. He gave it a cautious throw, and to his delight it flew perfectly. 'Right. Now we can go,' Meg said, leading the way through the next door.

-o-

The next room was full of fog again, but fortunately Link now had Meg's torch to light the way. However, the fire did little to disperse the fog, so Link just had to follow the light as best he could. Tam flew ahead, checking for hidden pits and traps, so Link talked to Meg as they walked.

'So how many sisters do you have?' he asked her.

'Three' was the reply. Suddenly Tam flew back, colliding with Link.

'Stop! There's a pit up ahead!' Link frowned.

'Any way across?'

'There's a drawbridge, but it's up in the air and I don't know how to get it down. But there are two switches on the other side. Maybe if you hit those?' Link nodded, and Tam went to hover over one of the switches, which Link hit with an arrow. Immediately it lit up, but before Link could even nock a second arrow the light went out.

'You'll have to be faster than that,' Meg observed matter-of-factly. Link looked down at her, but she wasn't looking at him. Sighing, he thought about the puzzle, then pulled out his new boomerang and hurled it at the switches. It flew in a neat arc, hitting both of them. A moment later there was a thump as the drawbridge crashed to the ground, allowing Link and Meg to walk across to the door, which thankfully was unlocked.

The next room was mostly free of fog, with more trees, like the first room in the House. There were two doors in this room, one locked and one barred, and two torches in the centre of the room, both unlit.

'Can you use your torch to light those ones?' Link asked Meg. The girl looked at him strangely, but did as he asked. The purple fire burned for a moment, then the flames exploded into purple smoke. Link gasped in shock, and drew his sword. Tam flew to the safety of his shoulder for protection, but Meg stood unconcerned. 'Meg! There are enemies coming! Get behind me!' Link ordered. Again Meg looked at him for a moment, then obeyed. The smoke formed into four cursed Bokoblins. Link thought hurriedly, then pulled out his boomerang and threw it, hitting and stunning all four Bokoblins.

'What are you going to do now?' Meg asked calmly.

'Didn't plan that far!' Link said while rummaging through his equipment for something that could kill the zombies. His hand closed on his bomb bag, and he rolled two bombs towards the monsters. They recovered quickly, and began to lurch towards him when the bombs exploded, creating a cloud of purple smoke. When it cleared, nothing remained of the monsters. Link sighed in relief, then turned back to Meg, who was smiling slightly. 'Why did your torch make those monsters appear?' he asked.

'I don't know. You're the one who told me to do it.' Link looked hard at her, but couldn't tell if she was lying. Tam flew off of Link's shoulder at this point, going over to examine the torches, which were once more unlit.

'How are we going to light these things without fire?' she asked. Link was silent, but a creaking noise from above caught his attention. A large bowl of lit coals was suspended on a chain above them.

'Look, Tam! Up there! If we can get that thing down here we can use it!' Tam flew up to inspect the chain, but it looked too sturdy to cut through.

'We can't get it down. Can we get something up here?' Link was puzzled.

'What about your boomerang?' Meg asked. Link looked down at her in surprise.

'It's wooden. It would burn!' Meg shrugged.

'It was just an idea.' Link considered her suggestion for a moment, then pulled out the item.

'Wait! You're not actually going to- Eek!' Tam yelled as the boomerang shot past her and returned to Link. He stared at it: it was on fire, but not burning. He held it cautiously by the end, and threw it at the torches. It lit both of them, causing a cloud of dust to appear between them. When it settled, a small treasure chest was left behind. Link caught the boomerang, shaking it to extinguish the flames, then opened the chest. Inside was a small key, which he used on the locked door. Opening it revealed a small room with another girl, a bit younger than Meg. She also looked Hylian, but she had orange-red hair pulled up into a messy ponytail that stuck vertically out of her head. Her eyes were the same shade, and like Meg she carried a torch, but it was the same orange-red colour rather than purple. Catching sight of Meg behind Link, the new girl rushed over.

'Meg!' 'Joelle!' Link smiled: clearly this was one of the fabled sisters.

'Joelle, this is Link. He's helping us to find the others.'

'Oh. That's very nice of him,' Joelle said without looking at Link. He frowned, but turned it into a smile when Meg looked at him.

'We need to find the other two,' she said. Link nodded and went back out into the room. To his surprise the torches were unlit again, but Meg and Joelle stepped up to them, using their torches to light the others. Link was about to stop them, remembering what had happened when Meg lit both, but was rendered speechless when the bars over the other door lifted instead. The girls looked at him innocently.

'Right. Well… Let's go that way,' he said, still in shock. The girls headed through the door, Link following. But Tam held him back a moment.

'Link! You know how Meg introduced you to her sister?' He nodded. 'Well, you never told her your name! How did she know?'

-o-

Link thought about this silently as he looked around the new room. He supposed Meg must have heard Tam or Zelda using his name, but even so it was strange. He tried to put it out of his mind. The next room was plain wood, with four torches at the centre. Three doors led off from the room, the middle one barred. Tam hovered by his ear.

'Four torches, four sisters. Coincidence?' she whispered. Link brushed her off, but the girls' connection with the House was starting to worry him. Realising Meg and Joelle were staring, he cleared his throat.

'Let's try that door first,' he said, gesturing to the one on the left. 'Maybe it would be safer for you two to stay here while me and Tam go explore,' he said, although their safety was only part of the reason he wanted to go alone. Meg and Joelle looked at each other, then at him.

'But we're so lonely, and scared!' they said in unison. Link was taken aback by their eerie tone. For the first time since meeting Meg he thought back to the girlish laugh he had heard several times. He wondered if one of the girls was responsible for it. Shaking his head, he tried to focus.

'O-Okay then. You can come.' The sisters smiled identical smiles. Link led the way through the door on the left. It was full of fog again, but two torches, thankfully lit ones, stood on either side of the door. Tam flew off and returned a moment later.

'There are other unlit torches in the fog, and a locked door at the end. No pits though. Maybe if you tried using your boomerang to light the torches?' Link nodded and did as she advised, Tam hovering over each torch while he aimed. Unlike the flames of Meg and Joelle's torches, the natural flames burned away the fog, so that as Link progressed he could see more and more clearly, making him feel slightly more comfortable. Finally all the torches were lit and a small chest appeared, containing a small key.

Link went over to the locked door while the sisters followed dutifully behind him. Inside was a girl about Joelle's age and very similar in appearance, but green instead of red: green hair, tied up in a tight ponytail, wide green eyes, and of course carrying a torch with a green flame. Her sisters greeted her, then introduced her to Link as Amy. He smiled, then led the way back into the other room. The sisters' affection for each other looked genuine, but Amy was just as unnerving as the others. Link secretly wished to find the last sister and get away from the creepy girls and the creepy House as soon as possible.

-o-

Back in the room with the four torches Link headed straight for the door on the right, as the middle door was still barred. This room looked like forest again, with a locked door at the far end and a large flower in the middle of the floor. In front of the flower was a small key. Leaving the girls by the safety of the door, Link ran to pick it up, but suddenly a huge head erupted from behind the flower and grabbed the key. As Link watched the 'flower' opened up to reveal a gaping mouth with sharp teeth. The whole plant reminded Link of the Deku Baba from before, but a lot more dangerous.

The head dropped the key into the mouth, which clamped shut while the head returned to deal with Link. He slashed at it, causing it to rear up, but then it lunged at him. Link raised his shield, deflecting the blow, but the impact still knocked him back. Scrambling to his feet he saw that the head was lying on the ground stunned. Remembering Zelda's advice from earlier, he dodged round it and sliced through the stem causing the head to explode into purple smoke.

The mouth of the creature then opened, revealing the enormous fangs. Link watched it for a moment, trying to find a weak spot. The mouth couldn't move, but attacking it would mean getting close to those teeth, and Link wasn't anxious to do that. Suddenly he had an idea, and pulling out a bomb, lobbed it straight into the mouth before running for cover. The mouth closed over the bomb, chewing it, then exploded. When the smoke cleared all that remained was the key.

'Well done, Link!' Tam said excitedly. Looking over at her Link saw the three sisters smiling the same identical smile. Trying not to shiver, Link picked up the key and opened the locked door at the end of the room. Behind it was the final sister, who looked like Joelle and Amy but in blue. She had blue hair pulled up into a single bun, blue eyes and a blue-flamed torch.

'Beth!' the other girls said in unison. While Beth embraced Joelle and Amy, Meg came over to Link.

'Thank you. All us sisters are together again. Now we just need to get out.' Link nodded as Tam floated over to him.

'Link! We still need to find Zelda! She's here somewhere! And what about Faron?' Link had forgotten about the Water Dragon, but he had remembered Zelda.

'Alright,' he said. 'Let's go back to that other room, and see if we can find a way out from there.' The girls followed him in one line, moving identically. Link began to wish he had listened to Zelda when she asked not to split up. But then he shook himself: they were children! A bit strange, maybe, but how dangerous could they possibly be? But he couldn't stop the hairs on the back of his neck rising.

-o-

They entered the room with the four torches for what Link hoped was the final time. Without saying a word, the sisters walked over to the torches and lit them with their own ones. For a moment red, green, blue and purple fire burned. Then suddenly a dust cloud formed, leaving behind a large chest. At the same time the bars over the other door lifted. Link opened the chest, acutely aware of the four girls clustering round him. Inside was a large key of the same dark wood the temple was built from.

'Right,' he said, trying not to look at the girls. He went through the new door, the girls following him into a short corridor. At the far end was a door with a wooden lock that matched the key. Link unlocked it, but suddenly felt the great pressure he had felt outside in the cursed forest. He knew this meant the source of the curse was on the other side of the door. Turning to Tam and the sisters, he said, 'There's something dangerous on the other side of this door. I'm going to go in there, but I need you to wait outside until it's safe.'

The sisters nodded in unison, but Tam looked less than happy about staying behind with the strange girls. But after a moment she nodded as well. Link supposed her reservations about the sisters weren't as strong as her fear of monsters. Taking a deep breath, he entered the boss room. It was dark wood, like the other rooms, but completely empty. Looking around cautiously for the Water Dragon, or else some manifestation of Casineb's power, he suddenly heard a high scream, abruptly cut off.

 _Tam!_ he thought, rushing over to the door. But before he reached it the four sisters filed in calmly. When Meg, the last one, entered a wall of stone shot out of the ceiling, like the one that had sealed off the entrance to the temple. Link drew his sword and narrowed his eyes at the girls.

'Where's Tam? What did you do?' Meg laughed, and Link's blood ran cold as he recognised the high laugh from earlier.

'Silly hero,' she said as her sisters circled Link. He spun round, trying to see all of them at once as Meg continued. 'Did you really think our master would let you ruin all its hard work that easily?' Link gasped.

'You- You're helping Casineb?' Meg laughed again.

'Poor little Link. You should have listened to your friends.'

-o-

Suddenly the flame of Meg's torch grew, swirling round her, while the same thing happened to the other sisters. The burning figures rose into the air, and suddenly the flames vanished, leaving behind four empty shrouds hanging in mid-air, with four unlit torches hanging next to them. Meg's laugh echoed round the room, joined by the eerie laughs of her sisters. The torches burst back into life as glowing eyes appeared in each shroud. Link gasped as he recognised the monsters from stories he had been told as a child. These were Poes, spirits of the dead who had remained in the land of the living as ghosts because of their hatred for this world. He shuddered, but narrowed his eyes. Ghosts or not, these creatures had hurt Tam.

But Meg wasn't finished. With a wave of her hand the room started to fill with fog. The flames of the torches were easily visible, but Link couldn't tell how far they were from him. The four lights danced around him while the Poes laughed. Link swung at one when he thought it was close to him, but his sword passed through thin air. He didn't know if he had missed or if the ghost just couldn't be hit. Something rushed into him from behind, hitting the back of his head hard and making him see stars.

Shaking his head to clear it, he retreated until he could feel his back against the wall; at least this way none of them would be able to sneak up on him. He rummaged through his equipment, pulling out his bow and arrow. But as he did so his fingers brushed the boomerang. He looked at it, shrugged, and threw it at the first torch he saw, Beth's. The weapon carried the blue fire from the torch, and Beth screamed, becoming visible for a moment. The fire quickly vanished from the boomerang and reappeared on the torch, allowing the Poe to disappear, but Link had seen enough. He knew how to defeat them.

He threw the boomerang again, this time hitting Joelle's torch. Without waiting to see if it had had an effect he aimed his bow and shot at the briefly-visible Poe. She screamed in pain, but disappeared again. Link repeated this, and on the second hit Joelle's torch fell to the floor as the Poe was defeated. But the fire from the torch did not go out. Instead, it floated up to Meg's torch, the red fire sitting next to the purple. Link narrowed his eyes, wondering what this meant, but hurriedly raised his shield as Amy came flying at him, no doubt looking for revenge for her fallen sister.

As she bounced off the shield Link swiped her fire and aimed at her, hitting her twice before she had a chance to recover. Like Joelle, she vanished but her fire joined Meg's. Link took aim at Beth next, but she was quicker to react. She dodged out of the way of the boomerang, moving into a wall. Link felt something cold at his back before he was sent flying as Beth burst out of the wall behind him. He quickly got up and managed to hit her torch, then the Poe herself as she became visible. She took more hits than the others, but after four arrows her torch fell to the ground and her fire flew to Meg's torch.

There was silence, as the final Poe hovered somewhere in front of Link. She wasn't laughing now. Suddenly the fog cleared, and the shrouded ghost stared at Link. Then she narrowed her eyes, and split into four identical copies. Link tried to see all of them at once, but it was impossible. They circled him, spinning in the air, then - one of them spun twice. Link quickly aimed at that one with his bow, as she was already visible. She screamed as he hit her, and the copies reformed into one. She sank to the ground, and the purple fire billowed again. When it faded she was back in her Hylian form, but Link wasn't fooled.

'Don't think I won't attack you because you look like that,' he said. 'You hurt my friends.' Meg stared at the floor.

'Do you know why we linger in this world?' she asked quietly. She looked up at him, and Link was shocked to see tears at the corners of her eyes.

'Um… hatred?' Link asked, still not convinced this wasn't a trick.

'Yes, but hatred of what? Do you know why I don't like your friend?' she asked. Link gasped.

'You… why would you hate Zelda? You never met her before today!' Meg shook her head slowly.

'Not her. The other one. Her ancestor.' Link lowered his sword.

'You mean… Hylia?' Meg nodded.

'Yes. She killed us, and we hate her for it. That is why my sisters and I became Poes.' Link was confused.

'But… how could she kill you? She's the Goddess, she protected the Hylians.' Meg looked away.

'Is that what you were told? What about the others?'

'What others?'

'The ones that were left behind! The ones that didn't make it to her sacred rock! The ones who were abandoned, the ones who were forsaken, the ones who perished at the hand of evil.' Link stared as realisation dawned.

'You were left behind. You and your sisters. You never made it to the sky.' She nodded. 'But then why help Casineb? It's evil! It's a descendant of the one who killed you!' Meg closed her eyes.

'Because it means revenge. On you. And on Hylia.' Link was stunned. But after a long moment, he sheathed his sword.

'I'm sorry. You've suffered more than anyone should have to suffer. But revenge won't bring your sisters back to life. You need to forgive Hylia for what she did. And you need to stop helping Casineb: it's using you to inflict the same pain on others as was inflicted on you. Please, just forgive us.' Meg looked into his eyes, and for one horrible moment Link thought she would attack him. But then she exploded into purple fire. The four flames rose into the air spinning, and Meg laughed one last time before they vanished.

-o-

A/N: Phew, made it. Brr! *shudders*

Oh, and just so you know, tomorrow's chapter is going to be a big ol' beastie. Much will happen!


	13. Chapter 13: Dragons and Demons

A/N: The big ol' beastie has arrived, and coincidentally it's lucky number 13! Hope you like it!

-o-

Link stood there for a moment, stunned. But he soon became aware of noises from behind the boss door, like people banging on the wood.

'Link! Are you in there?' a muffled voice shouted.

 _Zelda_ , thought Link, and he rushed over. The stone wall was still in place, but as he touched it the rock shattered and the door opened. Behind the door were Tam and Zelda, who ran into the room.

'Link! What happened? Are you okay? Where are Meg and the others?' Link hesitated. He thought about telling Zelda everything, how Meg hated her ancestor for what she did, but he decided against it.

'They… went away. I beat them, and they went away. I'm not sure why.'

'Are you sure they're gone?' Tam asked nervously.

'I'm sure. Tam, what did they do to you? I heard you scream…' Tam looked ashamed.

'They turned into these scary ghost things. I… fainted,' she mumbled. Zelda looked at her.

'Ghosts?'

'Poes,' Link answered. Zelda sighed.

'Well, at least they're gone and we're all together. Oh Link, you're hurt!' she exclaimed suddenly. Link was confused, but suddenly he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head where one of the Poes had hit him.

'I didn't even notice!' he said with a laugh, but Zelda was already handing him a red potion. 'So, any sign of Faron on your side?' he asked Zelda as the potion healed him. She shook her head.

'Nothing at all, just a load of monsters. You?'

'Nothing.'

'So what do we do? This is the deepest part of the temple. If Faron isn't here, something must have happened to her.'

'What's that?' Tam asked suddenly. Link and Zelda looked around in confusion, but could see nothing, and it was impossible to know which way the perfectly spherical sprite was facing. But she flew over to the far side of the room, to an unremarkable patch of wooden wall. 'There's something over here!' she said excitedly. The Hylians hurried over, but could see nothing. Link hesitantly touched the wall, and as he did so his Mark of Farore glowed brightly, blinding the trio. When the light faded a section of the wall was gone.

'How did you know about that?' Zelda asked Tam.

'I don't know. I just… felt something weird over here. It's probably a sprite thing,' she replied. Link cautiously stepped through the wall, and gasped as he realised where they were. He was standing outside, on a piece of wood directly above the entrance to the House of the Fallen. Ahead of them was the valley, free of fog and cursed Bokoblins. As Link looked around he saw that the lifeless trees were gone, replaced with fresh green ones.

'It looks like the curse was lifted!' he said happily. But suddenly he heard a loud cracking noise beneath his feet. Looking down at the House he saw a large crack appearing in the wood. As he watched more cracks appeared.

'It's going to collapse!' Zelda yelled, jumping down to the valley floor. Link and Tam followed, sprinting down the valley to a place of relative safety. From there they watched as dark clouds billowed out of the cracks in the wood, covering the House. The cracking noises grew louder until suddenly the clouds exploded outwards, leaving nothing but the bare earth where the House once stood.

For a moment Link thought he saw something purple fly up out of the settling dust, but put it down to his imagination. Finally the dust cleared completely and silence returned to the valley. It was broken by the sound of a bird singing somewhere nearby. The clouds above parted, and the noonday sun shone down, warming Link to his bones. It looked as though things were back to normal in Faron Woods. But Zelda nudged him.

'We still need to find the dragon,' she said. Link nodded wearily and they set off once more.

-o-

They soon found a steep path leading up the side of the valley to the forest above. From there they could see all the way up the valley, which extended a long way in each direction.

'There used to be a river here,' Zelda explained. 'Downstream was a huge lake, called Lake Floria. I used to swim there when I was a child. But it's probably all dried up now. We should head over there, maybe we'll find some sign of Faron.' Link agreed. They had been walking for a long time now, and the sun was setting on the horizon. Link worried briefly about being in this part of the forest after dark, but he decided that now the House was gone, it would be no more dangerous than any other part of the forest.

Tam had settled on Link's shoulder and was soon asleep, her light glowing and fading in time with her breathing. Link was tired too, but he wanted to keep going. He remembered Jorin and the other people from Fallhollow Village, and wondered if they had left the forest by now. He hoped they had made it out before the monsters found them. Dusk made the forest hard to navigate, and more than once Link tripped over roots and stones.

'We should rest,' Zelda said after he fell for the umpteenth time.

'I'm fine,' Link said.

'I'm not!' Zelda shot back. 'It's been a long day. The forest is back to normal now, we can take a few hours' break.'

'I want to keep going,' Link insisted. Zelda sighed, but kept walking. Suddenly Link heard a moan behind him. He spun round, sword raised and stared in horror as he saw three cursed Bokoblins lurching towards him, their yellow eyes glowing sinisterly in the darkness. Thinking quickly, he dragged Zelda over to the nearest towering tree and began to climb. She followed his lead and soon they were high above the monsters. Tam had now woken up and illuminated the scene for them.

'What are you going to do?' she asked. Link replied by pulling out a bomb. The Bokoblins below, fortunately not very intelligent, were walking into the tree repeatedly, and as the bomb dropped into their midst they stared at it stupidly. One of them nudged it with its foot just as it exploded, filling the air with purple smoke. When it cleared and the forest once again filled with the sounds of the night-time animals, and Link was sure there were no more monsters around, he dropped cautiously to the ground, beckoning Zelda down.

'I thought you said the forest was back to normal!' he said. She shrugged.

'How was I supposed to know those things were still around?' she replied. Link sighed, running his hand through his hair.

'Well, now we really need to find Faron. The Woods may look normal, but clearly they aren't. That curse won't be properly broken until we free the Water Dragon from Casineb's influence. Let's keep going. How far is it to Lake Floria?'

'It should be just a bit further,' Zelda told him. Link nodded and they set off again, Tam lighting the way to stop Link tripping over anything else. Soon the ground started to slope upwards.

'Are you sure this is the right way?' Link asked. 'Aren't lakes supposed to be on low ground?'

'I'm sure we're in the right place,' Zelda said. 'Just stop grumbling and keep walking.' Link obeyed, muttering to himself about Zelda's sense of direction. He had to admit though, she hadn't been wrong before. Soon Link realised they were walking along a trail, ancient but well-travelled. Link guessed it was an old path to the lake. After following it for a while longer the trees became thinner, and soon they were out in the open air. They were standing on a cliff, overlooking the remains of the lake below. Far beneath them was the lakebed, and as Link stepped up to the edge of the rock to look at it he gasped. It looked as though the lake was filled with stars.

But as his eyes adjusted to the myriad points of light below Link realised they were hundreds of campfires. Gathered around them were figures, which from a distance Link thought were Hylian, and he wondered what that many people would be doing in a dried-up lake. But as one figure below stood up, Link saw it was made of bones. A Stalfos. He looked more closely at the other figures, and saw Bokoblins, Skulltulas and Deku Babas. The entire lake was filled with monsters.

-o-

Link was shocked, and looking to his left he saw Zelda in the same state.

'What would all those monsters be doing in a place like this?' she wondered aloud.

'They must be here because of the curse,' Link said.

'Yes, but why here?' Zelda asked. 'What's so special about Lake Floria? There isn't even any water left!' Link shrugged.

'It doesn't matter why they're here. We just need to get rid of them so we can search for Faron. Unless you want to go down there and ask them to help?' he asked her sarcastically. She gave him a Look, and went back to surveying the lake.

'We could just wait. No, I'm serious,' as Link looked at her in disbelief. 'Before all this, the monsters used to come out at night, then go back into the House of the Fallen at dawn. I know the House is destroyed and that many monsters wouldn't fit in there anyway, but maybe they'll go away in the morning. I know it's probably a stupid idea, but I don't have a better one and anyway, I'm exhausted. We should make camp for the night, and at least in the morning we'll be able to see them better.' Link wasn't happy sleeping so close to this many dangerous monsters, but he had to admit he was tired.

'Alright. But let's go back into the trees, so they won't see us.' Zelda nodded, and they walked a little way back into the forest. Remembering the cursed Bokoblins that had surprised them before, Link suggested they sleep in the branches of a large tree. It wasn't the most comfortable of beds, but at least this way no monsters could creep up on them. And since Link was so tired that the rough bark felt like the softest of pillows, as soon as he lay down he was asleep.

-o-

The next morning, he woke up face down on the dewy grass, his body aching.

'Ugh… what happened?' he said sleepily.

'Tee hee! You fell out of the tree!' Tam said, bouncing around in front of his face.

'Well, not so much "fell" as "got pushed",' came Zelda's voice from above. 'Sorry sleepyhead, I needed to wake you up and this seemed like the easiest way.'

'And the funniest!' Tam said happily. Link swatted at her half-heartedly. It was still before dawn, so he could only have had a few hours' sleep. Every inch of his body hurt, from the trials yesterday and his rude awakening this morning. Zelda jumped out of the tree and landed lightly next to him, hauling him to his feet.

'Come on, we've got dragons to find.' Link yawned loudly as they walked back to the lake. To his dismay, he saw that the monsters were still there. And to make matters worse, it looked like they were early risers as well. There was already movement in their camp, and Link spotted a Stalfos carrying its two enormous swords. He swallowed hard.

'Remind me again how we're supposed to get rid of them?' he asked. But what he hadn't seen last night was a pool of water in the centre of the lake. Peering down at it he saw a tunnel below it, going far down into the earth. _Hmm…_ Link thought. _Water Dragon…_ 'We need to get down there,' he said pointing. 'I bet you anything that's where Faron is.' Zelda looked where he was pointing and nodded.

'Good idea. Except that water is right in the middle of all those monsters. How do we get to it?'

'Well, for a start we need to get down lower,' Link said, leading the way down a path that would take them to the lake bed. 'Once we're down there, we need a distraction of some sort.'

'A bomb?' Zelda asked. Link shook his head. 'They'd see me throwing it. And it would only take out a few monsters. No, we need something bigger.' Zelda thought for a moment.

'If one of us ran out into the middle of the monsters, I bet they'd chase us. They'd be far too busy to notice the other one running past.'

'Great plan, except for the part where one of us gets killed,' Link said dryly. 'We'd never escape in time.' The Hylians were silent for a moment while they thought.

'I could do it,' said a small voice behind them.

'Tam?' Link asked incredulously. Normally the sprite hid behind Link at the first sign of trouble. Yet now she was volunteering for a dangerous plan that could easily get her killed.

'Yes. I'm pretty sure I could outrun those things. And if things get too bad, I can always turn back into my sprite form and fly away. It would give you two time to get to the water.' Link looked at Zelda, who shrugged. It was dangerous, but Tam had the best chance out of the three of them. And they had no other plan; someone had to do it.

'Alright,' Link said hesitantly. Tam nodded, then flew out high over the heads of the monsters. Somewhere on the far side of the water she changed into her child form, and from their hiding place Link and Zelda could see the monsters' confusion as she ran among them, dodging here and there. Soon the side of the lake between the Hylians and the water was clear, and, checking they had their Zora scales, they nodded at each other and sprinted across the dry lakebed.

Link heard the cry of a Bokoblin somewhere off to his right, and he saw a Stalfos raise its swords as it saw him. But the skeleton was slow, and Link could see the water rushing up to meet him. The monsters gathered round the edge, but Link took a running dive into the water, taking a deep breath as he hit the surface and swimming down as far as he could. To his relief he saw that Zelda had made it as well. High above the water he saw a green light shoot across the lake, and he smiled to himself as he knew Tam was safe. Then he turned around and swam down the tunnel, preparing himself to face the might of the Water Dragon at the other end.

-o-

Soon the tunnel began to rise, coming out in a serene pool. At the centre of it the ground rose up into a rock platform, on which sat a large blue shape, its back to them. Link and Zelda pulled themselves up on the platform, and Link went to draw his sword, but Zelda stopped him.

'Faron?' she mouthed, gesturing at the figure.

'It's not polite to whisper,' a deep but female voice said, and the figure in front of them turned. Link gasped as he realised that this must indeed be the Water Dragon, Faron. She bore a striking resemblance to the other Dragons, wearing a blue robe of a similar style to theirs, but with the symbol of Farore on it. But her body was covered in black vein-like marks, and when she opened her eyes they were pure black.

'Casineb.' Link said. It wasn't a question. This time he drew his sword, and Zelda did the same. Faron chuckled, and raised her hands. Link swallowed as he saw the long sharp claws at the end of each of her fingers. Without warning she brought her hands crashing down on the platform, making it shake. But the whole room kept shaking, and Link noticed the water surrounding the platform was sinking down into the floor.

'So,' said Faron, and Link's head snapped back to her. 'You want to fight. Very well, little hero. I accept.' Suddenly she rose into the air, then came flying back down towards the Hylians. Link and Zelda dived off the platform to avoid her, landing hard on the ground where the water had been before. Faron began to fly round the platform in a circle, missing Link by mere inches each time she passed. Zelda ran round to Link, panting.

'What do we do?'

'We attack, of course!' Link said, raising his sword. But again Zelda stopped him.

'Link! That's Faron! I know she's possessed, but if we kill her she won't magically become unpossessed, she'll be dead! We need to find some way of breaking Casineb's influence without hurting her.'

'Fine! Got any ideas?' Link asked, ducking to avoid the dragon.

'Not right now. I'll let you know when I do!' Zelda yelled, running off after Faron.

'So what do I do until then?' Link yelled back. Zelda's reply was indistinct, but sounded like 'don't get killed'. Link sighed, then suddenly had an idea of his own… well, sort of. When Faron next flew past he ran then leapt, landing on her back. She roared and bucked, trying to shake him off, but he had a firm grip on the back of her robe.

'Link! What are you doing?' Zelda asked as he shot past.

'Improvising!' he shouted, trying to hang on as Faron rolled in mid-air. For a moment Link's hand touched the dragon's scales, and his mark of Farore glowed brightly. Faron screamed, but it wasn't her voice. It was more masculine, and Link realised to his shock that the scream was from Casineb. Clearly Link's touch was doing some kind of damage to the demon. Realising this, Link planted his hand on the back of Faron's neck, causing her to writhe even more. Suddenly Link was thrown violently from the dragon's back, crashing into the side of the cave near Zelda.

'Are you alright?' she asked.

'I'm fine. Zelda, when I touch Faron Casineb gets hurt! I don't know what I'm doing, but that must be how to save her! You try it!' Zelda looked at him doubtfully, but when Faron next shot past Link saw her neck, where he had touched. The black veins were completely gone.

'See?' he told Zelda. 'We just need to do that a bit more, and we'll win!' Zelda nodded, and managed to grab onto Faron's tail as she passed. Casineb screamed again, so Link knew Zelda's touch had worked, but he heard his friend scream as she too was thrown off. Link could see her on the other side of the room, and she wasn't moving. Link began to run towards her, but was hit from behind by the charging dragon, throwing him against the wall too. Faron rose up in front of Link, claws raised, and Link braced himself for the attack – when a bright green light hit Faron straight in the face.

'Stop! Hurting! My! Friends!' Tam shouted, hitting Faron with each word. The furious sprite did little more than confuse the dragon, but it was enough for Link. He took a running jump and grabbed onto one of Faron's arms. Casineb screamed, louder this time, but Link ignored it, instead watching the veins recede. They vanished all the way up to the dragon's face, and for a moment Faron's black eyes flickered blue. She raised her arm to her face and nodded. The veins began to return and her eyes went black again, but Link understood.

He raised his left hand, burning with the green mark, and touched Faron's forehead. There was an explosion of light, and Link was thrown to the ground. When the light faded he looked around frantically. Faron was nowhere to be seen.

'Link! Over here!' Tam yelled, and Link saw her hovering by the motionless Zelda. He rushed over and checked his friend for signs of life. She was breathing, but only slightly and her skin was very pale. Link saw that she had a wound in the back of her head from being thrown, and it was bleeding profusely. Desperately he checked her pouch for red potions, but it seemed as though she had finally run out. She must have used her last one to heal Link after his battle with the Poes.

He heard a slight sound behind him, like the ringing of glass, and turned to see a heart container. Hope flickered in his heart as he ran over to it. It vanished when he touched it, and his own wounds immediately healed. Going back to Zelda he saw the wound on her head heal too, but she didn't open her eyes.

'Come on, Zelda,' he muttered. 'Come on.'

-o-

Suddenly he heard Tam gasp, and a scaly blue arm reached past him and lifted Zelda into the air. Link turned, sword drawn, and saw Faron hovering above the platform, holding Zelda.

'Put her down!' he yelled, rushing over to the platform. But when he reached it Faron held out her hand, and Link found he couldn't move.

'Relax, boy,' Faron said in her own soothing voice. 'Or would you rather she does not wake up?' Link narrowed his eyes, but Faron's magic prevented him from doing anything else. Faron placed her hand gently on Zelda's forehead, and suddenly her eyes flickered open. Faron laid her back down on the platform and released Link, who rushed over to his friend.

'Zelda! You're alright!' he said, giddy with relief.

'Yeah, I… think so,' Zelda replied. 'Um… What happened?'

'That is indeed a good question,' Faron said. Link looked up at her, unsure whether she was really free from Casineb. But the inky veins were completely gone, and her eyes were a deep blue. She laughed from Link's scrutiny. 'Yes, I am once again myself. Thanks to you.' She bowed low to Link, who blushed slightly and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

'Er… It was nothing. Don't worry about it.' Faron straightened up, and smiled down at the Hylians. Then her gaze fell on Tam, who looked ashamed.

'I'm not apologising!' she said, although she sounded uncertain. 'I don't care if you were possessed. No-one hurts my friends!' Faron's smile widened.

'I understand. You have true courage, Tam.' The sprite looked up at this, and flew round Link's head happily. He laughed, but then noticed that Faron was looking off into the distance. 'Your friend… the Princess. As we speak, she suffers from the power of the demon that possessed me for so long.' Link nodded, remembering Hyra.

'But now you're free, you and the other dragons can help her, right?' Link asked hopefully.

'Yes, I believe this is so,' Faron replied. She closed her eyes, and placed her hands together. A blue light glowed from within them, and when it faded she opened her hands to reveal a plain necklace with a clear stone hanging from it. She handed this to Link, who examined it. The stone glowed slightly, but felt very cold to the touch. 'Give this to the Princess. It embodies the wisdom of Lanayru, the power of Eldin, and my own courage. It will drive the demon from her.'

'Thank you,' Zelda said, speaking for both of them. Faron bowed her head, then raised her hands.

'This is the last service I can do for you,' she said, and suddenly the blue light enveloped the four of them. When it faded Link saw they were standing on the cliff overlooking the lake once again, above the throngs of monsters. 'This monster problem is getting out of control,' Faron said. 'I shall have to flood the lake to remove them.'

'No!' a voice said, and Link was surprised to realise it was his own. 'I mean… that will kill them. Is there really no other way?' Zelda and Tam stared at him in confusion, but Faron's stare was more one of consideration.

'You care for the lives of these creatures?' she asked. Link shrugged.

'I guess so. After all, they're minding their own business. It seems a bit cruel to destroy them just on principle.' In truth he was remembering Meg and her sisters, who had suffered so much. Having heard their story, he was a lot less keen on mass murdering other monsters. It wasn't as if these ones had hurt him. Faron stared for a moment more, then nodded.

'Very well. There is a wild land, far to the east of here, where countless monsters roam. I shall send them there.' Link nodded in gratitude, and Faron waved her arms once again. The lakebed was filled with blue light, and when it faded the monsters had disappeared. Link just hoped Faron was as good as her word. Then Faron raised her hands one final time, and Link heard a loud rushing noise from the direction of the former House of the Fallen. As he watched, the water that had once filled the valley came rushing down it once more, filling Lake Floria.

He gasped at the beauty of the scene. The clear blue water stretched out below him, reflecting the sky like a mirror. But a gentle tug on his arm from Zelda reminded him that he didn't have time to stare.

'Thank you,' he told Faron, and he meant it. She smiled graciously, and Link turned to leave. But as he did so he saw Tam, in her child form, staring at the ground.

'I can't come with you, can I?' she said, and Link had never seen her so sad.

'I'm sorry, Tam. But we need to do this. And we'll come back really soon, okay?' Tam nodded, but she didn't seem any happier.

'Do you want to come with us to the edge of the forest?' Zelda asked. The sprite shook her head.

'Just go.' Link looked at Zelda, but they both knew there was nothing they could do. Sighing, Link ruffled Tam's hair, then left with Zelda.

-o-

Link and Zelda were silent as they trekked back through the forest, both thinking about Tam. But soon Link recognised the path they were on: it was the one leading to the clearing where the villagers from Fallhollow had camped. He told Zelda this, and they agreed to make a detour to try and find the people. Now the curse was well and truly lifted it was safe for them to return. But when they got to the clearing they saw it was completely empty. The remains of a few campfires littered the ground, but there were no people in sight.

'They must have left yesterday,' Zelda said.

'Yes, but where would they go?' Link asked. Zelda shrugged.

'Hyrule Town? That's where you suggested they go, isn't it? Maybe they went to find Quin and Faru.' Link nodded.

'Maybe. Well, we should probably keep going then. Hopefully we'll find them somewhere along the way.' They continued through the forest along the path they had taken the first time they left Faron Woods. Link sighed as he remembered how excited Tam had been then. Soon they left the trees behind and walked out onto the open plains of Hyrule Field, heading for Mara's house. As they got closer, Link saw many people milling about. He squinted to try and see better, but he couldn't make out any faces. But as they got closer he recognised someone.

'Faru!' he yelled. His friend looked up, and came running over.

'Link! You're okay, bud!' Link laughed with joy to see the man again, and going over to the rest of the people he recognised others too.

'Jorin! Lia!' The young girl ran up to him and hugged his knees, her twin joining her. Their mother embraced Link as well.

'Link! I'm so glad you're alright. After that curse spread, we were so worried.'

'It's fine now, you can go back. The forest isn't dangerous anymore,' Link reassured her. Jorin thanked him, then caught sight of Zelda, who was standing awkwardly where Link had left her. Beckoning her over, Link introduced his friend to Jorin and the others. At this point Mara came out, noticing the commotion outside. She hugged Link and Zelda as well, and insisted they stayed for a meal. Link was very tempted to accept, but he knew it was unfair to delay while Hyra suffered. He explained this to Mara, who reluctantly agreed, bringing out Epona and Rhiannon. While everyone else was busy, Link found a moment to talk to Faru.

'Where's Quin?' he asked.

'Still in the town. She's staying with her girlfriend.'

'And you don't mind?' Link asked. Faru shrugged.

'I'm over her.' Link laughed incredulously at this, but was glad that his friends were all safe. Soon Link and Zelda were ready to leave, and they saddled up their horses, said their last goodbyes, and set off for Hyrule Town.

-o-

It was a long ride to the town, but fortunately uneventful. Link kept a sharp eye out for Bulblins or Bullbos, but none appeared. Dusk was gathering by the time they reached Hyrule Town, and Link was torn between staying the night with Mylin and Charenn, or going straight to Hyra. But, as Zelda pointed out, the entrance to the castle was locked, high gates barring their way.

'Those weren't there before,' Link noted.

'It's probably just for safety. I'm sure they'll be open in the morning,' Zelda said, and led the way to the inn. Inside it was as crowded as ever, but Charenn bustled over and greeted them nonetheless.

'Hello, dearies. You two look exhausted! Well, your room's always free if you want it.' Link thanked her, and the two of them went up to the promised room. As soon as Link fell into the bed he was asleep.

-o-

The next morning, he woke at dawn. Zelda was already awake, reading her old book on her bed. She smiled at him when she saw him awake.

'We should get going,' she said. Link agreed, dressing hurriedly. They gathered their things, Link checking he still had Faron's necklace, said goodbye to Charenn, and headed for the castle. By now the town was starting to wake up, the throng of people beginning to fill the streets as usual. But as they got closer to the castle Link saw that the gates were still in place, tightly locked.

'How are we going to get in?' he asked. Zelda shook her head.

'I don't know. This place was designed to withstand an attack by an army. Two people aren't going to stand a chance.'

'Ahem.' A quiet voice behind them cleared its voice. They turned, and saw a small figure, its face hidden by a heavy cloak. 'You are here to help the Princess, correct?' Link nodded. The voice sounded old, and he thought he recognised it.

'Impa?' he said softly. A smile appeared beneath the cloak.

'You are indeed perceptive, my child. Come.' She led the way through the streets, which got darker and narrower until Link could barely fit through them. Finally they came to an abandoned-looking house on a deserted street. Impa pulled a key from the recesses of her cloak and opened the door, checking to make sure they weren't being watched. She beckoned the young Hylians inside, into a bare room. Having locked the door behind her Impa went over to the far wall, which bore a strange design: an eye, with a single tear hanging from it. Impa placed her hand in the centre of this mark, and Link saw she had the same symbol on her hand. The mark on the wall glowed, then faded, and the wall vanished with it. Behind the wall was a dark passage, leading down. Zelda gasped.

'Does that tunnel lead to the castle?' she asked. Impa nodded, taking a torch and leading the way. Once they were inside the wall glowed and reappeared, preventing anyone from following them.

'You're pretty cautious, aren't you?' Link asked Impa.

'I have my reasons. The demon has grown stronger. It made the Princess throw me out of the castle, and lock those gates. I am no longer welcome there. I tried to re-enter, but the demon knows about the secret passages. I would guess the Captain of the Guard, Branford, told it. He seems to have no problems with the change in the Princess. I believe your theory was correct, Link. That man was indeed the one who aided the demon on possessing Her Majesty.'

'But, if all the passages were sealed, what about this one?' Zelda asked.

'Ah. This one can be used by the Sheikah only. We protect the Royal Family. In times of trouble, it pays to have ways in and out only we can use. No-one knows about this passage except the three of us.' Link nodded. The tunnel ended in a set of steps, and at the end was a heavy door. Impa paused with her hand on the door. 'I cannot come with you. This passage comes out in the drawing room. You must head to the north part of the castle. There you will find the North Stairs. Go up those, and at the top you will find the entrance to Hyra's quarters. I wish you luck.' They thanked her, then went through the door. Impa pulled it closed behind them, and the crack disappeared seamlessly.

Link looked around. The drawing room was an enormous room of red velvet and gold. There was a door in one side of the room, which Link went over to. Just as his hand touched the handle however, he heard voices and the clank of armour behind it.

 _Guards_ , he thought. It looked as though this was going to be more difficult than he had anticipated.

-o-

When the noise faded and Link was sure the guards were gone, he and Zelda cautiously stepped out into a wide corridor. Paintings lined the walls, of men on horseback and scenes from Hyrule's history. Checking both ways, Link led the way to the left, heading north like Impa had told him two. There was a door at the other end, but before Link reached it he heard more voices. He and Zelda flattened themselves against the wall on either side of the door, trying not to make a sound.

Link leant back against a tapestry, and suddenly felt thin air behind him. He tumbled backwards, landing hard against cold stone. He briefly saw the tapestry in front of him, before the wall behind it slid back into place, blocking off the secret passage once more. Link staggered to his feet, trying to find a way to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. Sighing, he turned around to face the other direction. The passage was lit by torches, but Link couldn't see where it led. On the other hand, it wasn't as though he had a choice. Wearily, he set off down the tunnel.

-o-

Zelda gasped when she suddenly saw Link disappear into the wall. She was about to rush over to him when the voices got much closer. Zelda flattened herself against the wall as much as she could, trying not to breathe. Fortunately, she was behind the open door, so whoever was coming wouldn't see her unless they looked behind them. She stiffened as three old men in official-looking robes walked into the room, deep in conversation. She wondered if they were members of the Royal Council. Luckily they didn't see her, and went through the door at the other end of the corridor. As soon as Zelda was sure they were gone she ran over to the tapestry Link had leant against, but there was nothing but bare wall behind it. She pressed it just in case, but nothing happened.

'Link?' she whispered. There was no reply. Sighing, Zelda decided to continue to the Princess' room on her own. Hopefully she would find Link before Casineb found her. She went out of the door, but ducked back inside as she heard more voices. Three guards paused outside the door, one of a much higher rank than the other two. The senior guard barked some orders, and the others replied,

'Yes, Captain.'

 _Captain?_ Zelda thought. _As in… Branford?_ The lower-ranking guards went back the way they had come, while the man she assumed was Branford continued in a different direction. Checking no other guards were coming, Zelda silently followed him.

-o-

Link was lost. The tunnel had gone on for ages, twisting and turning so much that he had no idea which way he was going. He wondered where Zelda was. She would probably have had the sense to keep going, but without Faron's necklace there wasn't much she could do, even if she did manage to find Hyra. He stared along the tunnel, trying to see an exit, but it just continued on. Sighing, Link kept walking. But suddenly a stone slab moved under his foot as he stepped on it, and a section of wall to his right slid smoothly away, revealing another tunnel.

'It says something about whoever designed this castle that the secret passages have secret passages,' Link muttered. But he could see faint daylight at the end of this tunnel, so he decided to follow it, hoping it lead back to the castle proper. Once he got there he just hoped he would recognise where he was. It wasn't as if he could ask for directions. Soon he reached the end of the tunnel, a flat wall with a grille in it. Peering through he saw a large staircase.

 _The North Stairs?_ he wondered. As he pushed gently against the wall it slid away, and he stepped through. No-one seemed to be coming, but there was nowhere to hide on the large marble steps. He checked the coast was clear one last time, then sprinted up the stairs. At the top was a door he recognised: the door to the Princess' room. Sighing in relief, he pulled out the necklace and opened the door, ready to face the demon within.

-o-

He stepped into Hyra's bedroom, holding the necklace ahead of him like a protective charm. The stone glowed strangely, reflecting light that wasn't there. Link saw a cloaked figure sitting on the bed, its back to him. Link advanced cautiously.

'Hyra?' he whispered. The figure turned, and Link recoiled in horror as he saw Casineb's face staring straight back at him, the cruel black eyes boring into his. But then he recovered, and held the necklace aloft. He wasn't entirely sure what to do with it, but when the demon saw it, its eyes widened in fear. But then it looked past Link, and its lips curved into a smile. Too late Link heard the clink of armour behind him. He turned, and looked straight at a sword pointed at his throat.

'I'll take that,' Branford said. He grabbed the necklace from Link's hand, dropped it on the ground, and smashed the stone with his foot.

-o-

Link stared in horror at the remains of the necklace, now lying in shards on the floor. Branford looked past Link at Casineb.

'Master?' he asked.

'Kill him,' Casineb replied. Branford smiled and drew back his sword to strike. But Link took advantage of the momentary pause and lunged at Branford, knocking both of them to the ground. The soldier's sword flew out of his hand as Link punched his attacker. Branford tried to hit Link back but the younger man was too strong. Link's fist connected with the side of Branford's head and he managed to knock the guard unconscious. Panting, Link stood back up, but was suddenly thrown against the wall by an explosion of power from Casineb.

' _You,_ ' the demon said, advancing. Link was stunned, unable to move. 'You ruined my plans. Why couldn't you just die in that village of yours like you were supposed to?' Link gasped.

'That's why you did it? To kill me?' Casineb laughed.

'You really are slow. Yes, I ordered my dear faithful lapdog here,' (nudging Branford with his foot) 'to kill you. The burning of the village was supposed to be a cover. And revenge, of course. Against that stupid old man for hiding you all these years.' Link's eyes narrowed.

'What do you mean?'

'When that cowardly friend of yours freed me from my prison, the first thing I wanted to do was take care of any… threats. I would have killed your friend that day, if that stupid dragon hadn't trapped me in my mirror. But even from there, I could use my power. I made sure that silly girl was too afraid to cause any more problems for me. But no matter how hard I searched, I could never find you. But when I was free, I could finally use my power to my heart's content. And then your power rose like a beacon, waiting to be struck down. If that girl hadn't interfered, you would have been dead already. I'll admit, I didn't expect her to do that. But no matter. I will kill you now.'

Link struggled, trying to get up or reach his sword, but Casineb had used some kind of magic on him to prevent him from moving. The demon raised its hands, dark power swirling around them, and then it struck. But before the magic could reach Link a barrier of blue light rose around him, blocking the dark magic. The door of the room flew open and Zelda appeared, eyes shining with the same blue light. Her Mark of Nayru glowed brightly, as Casineb screamed in rage.

Link could see Zelda struggling to maintain the barrier, but she had distracted Casineb enough to free Link from its magic. He leapt to his feet and grabbed his sword, slashing at the demon. But it raised its own barrier of black magic, blocking Link's attacks. Undaunted, Link kept stabbing and slicing, his Mark of Farore shining. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Zelda bending over the broken necklace, her hands shining with blue light. Suddenly, as Link slashed at Casineb's barrier, his sword went through, making a long red mark down the demon's face. Casineb's eyes widened in shock and fear as Link prepared for the final blow.

'Link!' Zelda yelled, tossing something to him. Link caught it: it was the necklace, the stone magically repaired. He had paused long enough for Casineb to summon a blast of dark energy, but Link managed to hang on to the necklace. As Casineb advanced he threw it with the last of his strength. It stopped halfway to the demon, the stone spinning slowly in mid-air. It glowed brighter, then blindingly. Link covered his eyes but heard Casineb scream. Suddenly the light faded away, and the necklace vanished. A figure lay on the floor where Casineb had been, but from its purple hair Link knew it wasn't the demon.

'Hyra!' he said, shaking the fallen Princess. She murmured something, then her eyes flickered open. Link sighed in relief when he saw they were their normal brown. He checked the back of her hand, but the Mark of Din was gone. He leant back against the wall, panting with exhaustion. He looked over at Zelda, who looked just as tired. He guessed the magic had sapped much of her strength. Hyra looked from one to the other in confusion.

'What happened to me?' she asked. Link was too tired to answer, so he just smiled. But a moan from the corner next to Zelda reminded Link of the other person still in the room. Branford picked himself up slowly, but when he staggered to his feet he was met by a sword pressed against his throat. The soldier looked at Link in alarm, but Hyra spoke.

'Link, he's not worth it. I know what he did, and he will be punished. But don't kill him. If you do, he will never answer for his crimes.' Link fought with himself for a moment, but lost. Slowly he lowered his sword, but didn't take his eyes off Branford.

'I'll let you live this time,' he said. 'But if I ever see you again, I _will_ kill you.' Hyra pulled a cord by her bed and a bell rang somewhere. Moments later four guards ran into the room.

'Take him away,' she ordered. 'He is to be thrown into the dungeons to await trial.' Once Branford had been dragged out Link sheathed his sword and held out his hand to Zelda, pulling her to her feet.

'It's over,' he said. She smiled at him for a moment, then hugged him tightly.

-o-

A/N: We're finished! Wow, I can't believe it! This is absolutely the end, the story is over, no way am I going to post another chapter tomorrow with a plot twist that means that actually we're nowhere near finished...

...right?


	14. Chapter 14: No Rest for Heroes

A/N: The story goes on! This chapter trots along at a fair old pace, so hopefully you like it.

Oh, and one more thing: the faint of heart and the active of tear duct are advised to bring a tissue for this chapter.

-o-

Link held Zelda's hand as they strolled down the path. After news got out that the Princess was back to normal, the castle had become a flurry of activity. Link and Zelda had taken advantage of the confusion to leave unnoticed, and were now in the castle gardens. Link knew that soon people would come looking for them, asking them about their part in saving the Princess, wanting to know more about the demon, but for now they had been left in peace. The soft twilight illuminated the gardens, and Link was perfectly happy listening to the birdsong, smelling the scent of the flowers, and walking next to Zelda.

'So how did you do that magic?' he asked her.

'It's a spell, called Nayru's Love. I learnt it from my mother when I was a child, but I've never got it to work before today,' she answered. 'What happened to you after you vanished into that wall?'

'Oh, I found a secret passage. And then a secret secret passage.' Zelda laughed. 'Where were you?' Link asked. 'I didn't see you anywhere after I came out.'

'I saw Branford, so I decided to follow him. But after a while I had to hide to avoid some guards, and when I came out he was gone. Eventually I found that staircase Impa told us about, and then… well, you know the rest.' Link nodded. He sat down on a bench by the path, and put his arm round Zelda's shoulders. 'I just can't believe it's really over,' she said. Link smiled.

'What are you going to do now?' he asked. Zelda looked at him.

'What are you going to do?' she replied. Link leant closer. But suddenly he heard feet pounding down the path, and two guards came to a stop in front of them.

'Um… Her Majesty the Princess has requested an audience with you,' one of the guards said, turning cherry-red under his armour. Link sighed.

'Tell her we're coming.' The guard nodded, and they jogged off again. Link looked at Zelda, annoyed at the guard for interrupting. Zelda smiled as she read his mind, and stood up.

'There'll be plenty of time for that later,' she assured him. Link smiled too, and held her hand as they walked back to the castle.

-o-

The guards at the entrance directed them to the throne room, where Hyra sat regally on her throne. Link was relieved to see that Impa was back by her side. But the whole setup reminded him of the first time he had met Hyra, when she was still possessed. He was glad that was over now. As he got closer he saw that Hyra had a long cut running down her cheek. Link winced when he saw it: apparently the wounds he had inflicted on Casineb had hurt Hyra too. He was just grateful he hadn't stabbed the demon through like he had wanted to. When he and Zelda reached the throne they began to kneel, but Hyra waved the gesture away.

'Please, there's no need for that. You two saved my life!'

'Sorry about the…' Link began, pointing to her cut.

'Again: you saved my life. A few battle scars are no problem,' she said smiling.

'You're back to your normal self then?' Zelda asked, reminding Link that she had never met the Princess when she wasn't possessed.

'Yes, everything is wonderful now, thanks to you.' She smiled at Link, and he blushed slightly, unused to such attention from royalty. Impa cleared her throat gently, however.

'Your Majesty. If I may…?' Hyra sighed.

'Yes. You see, I didn't just call you in here to thank you. Impa has some worrying news.' The Hylians looked at the old Sheikah, who nodded.

'When you vanquished the demon, I felt its presence disappear from the castle. But it has not vanished completely.'

'What do you mean?' Link asked, but his blood ran cold. He already knew the answer.

'The demon is still alive.' Impa answered. Zelda sighed heavily.

'So where is it? And how do we defeat it properly?' Impa shook her head slowly.

'I do not know where the demon is hiding. Nor do I know for sure how to defeat it.'

'But you might be… unsure?' Link asked.

'Yes. If what you believe is true, about Casineb having been created by Demise, there might be a way to defeat it. According to legend, there was only one weapon that could defeat Demise: the Master Sword. Perhaps, if you find that sword, if it even still exists, you might be able to defeat the demon Demise created.' Link nodded slowly. He too had heard of the legendary Master Sword, the mighty blade wielded by the Hero of the Skies.

 _By my ancestor_ , Link reminded himself. He glanced to the side and saw that Zelda's eyes were wide, staring at Impa. He frowned. Was it his imagination, or did she look… horrified? But he shrugged off the idea. 'So where is the sword?' he asked.

'Again, I do not know,' Impa said sadly. 'I am sorry to be of so little use.'

'Not at all,' Hyra said graciously. 'It shouldn't be too hard to track down the sword. After all, how many ancient relics containing sacred power could there be? We have a huge library here in the castle, with many old volumes passed down by my ancestors. Some of them were around in the time of the great Link. Maybe there's something in one of the books about where he left his sword?'

'We'll help,' Link said immediately. Zelda looked at him, then down at the floor. Hyra smiled.

'That's very kind of you. Come back in the morning, and we'll start then.'

'Tomorrow? We should start now! The sooner we find that sword, the sooner Hyrule will be safe.' Hyra laughed.

'Link, look at you! You're covered in bruises, and you look exhausted. You both do. Go home, get some sleep, and tomorrow we'll find the sword.' Link sighed, but Zelda took him gently by the hand.

'She has a point, Link. You do look pretty awful.' Link huffed, but agreed.

'Fine. First thing tomorrow.'

-o-

Link was silent as they walked back to the inn. He had felt so full of joy earlier, but now, knowing that his foe was still out there, he just felt exhausted. But the prospect of finding, and maybe even wielding the legendary Master Sword cheered him up somewhat. Back in their room, he lay down on the bed and closed his eyes. Zelda sat down on the other bed with her back to him, saying nothing.

'Everything alright?' Link asked cautiously.

'No,' Zelda said. She turned round to face him. 'Link, is this absolutely necessary?'

'What?' Link asked incredulously, sitting up. 'You mean, do we really have to defeat Casineb?'

'Yes. The demon's gone now. It might not come back. There's no need for you to risk your life to find some sword which probably got destroyed a long time ago.'

'Zelda, you don't believe any of that! We've come so far, done so much to defeat this thing, and now you just want to give up?'

'Hyra's safe now, no-one's suffering. Why can't we just leave this alone?' Link shook his head in disbelief. Then he realised.

'Zelda, what's going on? I know this isn't really about me risking my life to defeat Casineb. I've done that plenty of times before, fighting monsters and dragons. You didn't have a problem with it then, so what's changed?' Zelda's shoulders sagged.

'I… I don't know. It's just… maybe there's another way now?'

'Zelda, you know that's not true! And you know what has changed? Now we're not just exploring temples and saving princesses, now this is about the Master Sword. You looked really shocked earlier when Impa mentioned it. What's going on? What do you know? What are you not telling me?' Zelda sighed in annoyance.

'It doesn't matter.'

'Yes, it does, because whatever it is, it's clearly worth worrying about. And since when do we keep secrets from each other?' Zelda glared at him.

'Since always! You know there are things I don't want to talk about, and until now you've had the sense not to ask! When did _that_ change?' They were shouting at each other now.

'If you want to be all deep and mysterious, fine,' Link yelled. 'But when it affects me, I have a right to know!'

'Oh yes, everything's about you, the great Hero! Did you ever think that maybe this is personal?'

'Everything's personal with you, Zelda!' Link shot back. 'When have you ever told me anything about yourself? When have you ever shared a secret, when have you ever opened up to me? All I know is you made some kind of mistake that released Casineb and got your friends killed, and even when you told me that you tried to pretend it was a story about someone else. Do you not trust me or something?' There was silence. Link stared at her in shock. 'So. That's it. You don't trust me.'

'Link, I-' she stopped. 'I _want_ to trust you, I really do, I just… can't.'

'Why not?' Zelda shook her head.

'It doesn't matter.'

'Stop saying that! If something's going on with you, I want to know about it.'

'I said, it doesn't matter.' He sighed.

'Zelda, please-'

'For Din's sake leave it alone, Link!' she yelled. They stared at each other for a moment, then Zelda grabbed her things and stormed out. Link thought about following her, but decided against it. He lay back on his bed, too angry to sleep. He lost track of time, staring at the ceiling and fuming, but eventually someone knocked tentatively on the door.

'WHAT?' he yelled, glaring at the intruder. Cariad stood in the doorway, her face red.

'Um… I just… never mind,' she said in a small voice. Link immediately rebuked himself.

'Cariad, I'm sorry. I thought you were-'

'Zelda?' she asked. Link nodded. 'Yeah, that's what I thought. We heard you two arguing.' Link was ashamed.

'I'm sorry, we just… things got a bit out of hand.' Cariad nodded. 'Um… she left the inn a while ago. She was crying.' Link didn't meet the girl's eyes.

'What was it you wanted?' Cariad hung her head.

'I just wanted to know if you'd seen Quin. I'll leave you alone now.' She closed the door, leaving Link to his anger.

-o-

He didn't remember falling asleep, but he must have done, because the grey light filtering in through the windows woke him up. He turned over and saw Zelda's empty bed, unslept in. He frowned in confusion for a moment, then the memories of their fight the night before came back to him. He felt warm shame pooling in the pit of his stomach, but it was quickly replaced by anger. If Zelda wanted to run off somewhere to sulk, fine. She could come back when she was ready to apologise. A small voice in the back of Link's head wondered if she was alright, but he pushed it away. He really didn't care right now.

Remembering Hyra, he gathered his things quickly and poked his head out into the corridor. The last thing he wanted right now was to bump into Cariad again, or one of the barwomen. He knew they had all heard his fight, and they would want to talk about it. Luckily the inn was deserted. Creeping downstairs to the empty bar, Link padded over to the door in silence.

'Ahem,' said a voice from the corner. Quin stood up, glaring at him. 'Heard there's trouble in paradise.' Link stared up at the ceiling, praying to Farore to give him strength.

'Quin, I really don't want to talk about it.' To his surprise, Quin nodded.

'That's fine. I don't know what you two were arguing about, but it probably wasn't as bad as you think. Let me guess: she has trust issues, you won't open up, the two of you never talk? Yeah, that's pretty standard relationship stuff. And anyway, I'm sure you had a point.' Link stared at her in disbelief.

'You think I was right?'

'No, you idiot!' Quin said suddenly, slapping him on the back of the head. 'Whatever you were arguing about doesn't matter! She's the one who ran off crying, so, right or wrong, _you_ have to be the one to apologise!'

'What? Why?' Quin sighed.

'If you don't understand, it's not worth explaining it to you.'

'That's such a girl thing to say!' Link said in exasperation. Quin slapped him again, hard, in the face this time.

'I can't believe I was actually wondering why you two fought,' she said angrily. Link clutched his stinging cheek.

'Alright then, if you know so much about relationships, what do I have to do to fix this?'

'Do you want to fix it?' Quin asked. Link stared at her. 'Because even if you manage to get Zelda to forgive you, which is unlikely, you still need to fix whatever problems made you fight in the first place. And yelling at each other is not going to make that happen. If you do this, it means swallowing your pride and accepting that neither of you is ever going to be perfect. You're going to have to compromise, and make sacrifices. That's what a relationship is. And if you get it right, it's absolutely worth it. But even if you have the best relationship in the world, it's still going to be hard. So: is she worth it?'

Link opened his mouth to reply, but stopped himself. Yesterday, when they had just defeated Casineb, he would have said yes. That evening, when they had had their fight, he would have said no. Now, he wasn't sure.

'I… don't know,' he said slowly. Quin nodded.

'That's what I thought. Before you go after Zelda and make things even worse, you need to figure that out.'

-o-

Link's head buzzed as he walked to the castle. Every so often he would glance round, thinking he saw a glimpse of Zelda, but it was always someone else. Link knew it was stupid to try to find her in the town. Rhiannon had been gone when he left the inn, and Epona looked at him mournfully. Link wondered where she had run off to, but with her horse she could be anywhere in Hyrule by now, and Link wasn't inclined to search.

When he reached the arch leading to the castle gardens, he was relieved to see that the gates barring it were gone. Two guards stood at the entrance to the throne room, but they looked more ceremonial than military. Going up to one, he asked to see the Princess.

'I'm sorry, young man. The Princess isn't seeing visitors today. But her advisor, Impa, will hold an audience later. You should come back then.' Link nodded, wondering what to do, but just then Impa herself came out.

'Ah, Link. You came. Her Majesty is this way.' Nodding at the guards, Impa led Link into the throne room and through a door at one side. Link noted that she didn't ask where Zelda was. It was strange, unless she already knew. But how could that be? Link knew the Sheikah had strange powers, but being able to eavesdrop on his and Zelda's relationship seemed a bit far-fetched.

Soon the old lady opened a grand set of double doors, leading to the library. Link gasped as he saw the room inside. Bookshelves filled the room, reaching all the way to the high domed ceiling, with hundreds of books on each one. Tall ladders rested on rails by the shelves, and near the top of one of them stood Hyra, holding an armful of books.

'Link!' she cried happily when she saw him. She slid to the bottom of the ladder with practiced grace, and came over. 'I'm so glad you came! But where's Zelda?' Link looked at Impa, then at the floor. Clearly whatever the old Sheikah knew she hadn't shared with the Princess. 'Oh well, never mind,' Hyra said, grabbing Link's hand and towing him along through the towering shelves.

'How are we ever going to search all these books?' Link asked.

'We don't need to! Most of them are irrelevant. I've found all the ones we need, so all we need to do is look through this lot!' she said, gesturing to a long table piled high with books. Link's eyes widened. The books on the table were a fraction of the ones in the library, but it would still take all day, at least. Link didn't have many books in Fallhollow Village, and he was a very slow reader. But he wouldn't admit that in front of Hyra.

'So where do you suggest we start?' he asked.

'You sit on that side, I'll sit on this one, and we'll work our way down the table,' Hyra said cheerfully. Link smiled grimly. He began to read, trying not to think how much easier this would be if Zelda were here.

-o-

A few hours later, Link put yet another book aside. He had spent the whole morning reading about ancient legends, histories of Hyrule, fascinating stories about people long dead, but nowhere did any of it mention the Master Sword. Wearily, he reached for another book. Hyra did the same, and their hands touched. Hyra withdrew hers quickly, blushing. Confused, Link handed her the book.

'Thank you,' she said, but she didn't open it, looking at Link. He dropped his eyes, reaching for a different book, but again her hand stopped him. He looked up at her. 'Link, you're tired. Maybe we should take a break.'

'I'm fine, really, I-' he stopped when she picked up his hand and held it in hers. Shocked, he looked into her brown eyes. She smiled at him.

'Link, it's alright. I know with Zelda you have to work all day every day, but you're not with her now. You can rest.'

'I, uh,' Link spluttered, stunned. He pulled his hand away and took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. 'It's not Zelda. This stuff is important; we need to get it done as quickly as possible so that people don't suffer longer than they have to.'

'Right…' Hyra said, going back to her book. Link raised his so she wouldn't see him blushing. He couldn't understand why Hyra was acting this way. He briefly wondered if she was still being influenced by Casineb, but if she was she would be attacking him, not flirting with him. He suddenly thought back to what Zelda had told him, about Hyra being attracted to him. The thought only made him blush deeper.

'Link? Are you alright? You've gone red,' she asked him.

'I'm… fine,' Link said with difficulty. He forced himself to focus on the words in front of him.

 _…went on for hundreds of years, until the Eldin Accord formally separated the territories of the Hylians and the Gorons, in an effort to prevent further fighting…_

'So that's how the Gorons got pushed out,' Link muttered.

'What?' Hyra asked. Link realised he had spoken aloud.

'Just something I was wondering about.'

'Oh, okay,' Hyra said, going back to her book. 'Hey, Link, come look at this!' He rushed round to her side of the table. 'Look here! " _Once the Hero of the Skies defeated Demise in single combat, the soul of the demon was imprisoned in the Master Sword the Hero wielded. He left the sword in the Temple of Hylia in the past, which later came to be known as the Sealed Temple, so that the servant of the Goddess could watch over it for thousands of years, to ensure the demon could never again break free. Back in his own time, Demise's soul had decayed completely, no longer posing a threat, but the Hero left the Master Sword in the Sealed Temple so that, should Demise's curse come true, the hero of that time would have a suitable weapon._ " Link! Don't you see, this is it! The Master Sword must be in the Sealed Temple! All we need to do is find that, and we'll find the sword!' Link laughed out loud with relief.

'So where's the temple?' Hyra frowned.

'It doesn't say. The rest of the chapter is about what happened to the Hylians after Demise's defeat. Wait! It says… " _The Hero decided to remain on the Surface, as it was then called, to stay with the Goddess in her Hylian form. The Goddess decided to remain to watch over the sacred Triforce, after the death of the servant of the Goddess (who had watched over the sword for thousands of years), Impa._ "'

'Impa?' they said in unison.

'Indeed,' said a voice from behind them.

-o-

They spun round. The old Sheikah stood behind them, smiling slightly.

'You? You were the one who guarded the Master Sword?' Link asked. Impa nodded.

'Yes. Or rather, a previous incarnation of me. I did tell you this before,' she said.

'No, you told me you helped the Hero and guarded the Sealed Temple. You never said anything about the Master Sword,' Link said indignantly.

'Why didn't you tell us this before?' Hyra asked. 'If you knew where the sword was, we wouldn't have wasted a day.' Impa sighed.

'While it is true I knew the sword was in the Sealed Temple, what I did not know was where the Temple was. After I died there the first time, some years passed before I was reincarnated. In my absence the temple had been abandoned, and I never went there again. Believing that the sword posed no risk without Demise's soul, I had no cause to return to the temple. And now, many centuries on, I am ashamed to say that I cannot remember where the temple was. That is why I said nothing: because I thought my knowledge was useless. I had hoped that by searching for the sword you would find some clue as to the location of the temple.' She avoided their eyes, disheartened. Link had to agree. Without knowing where the temple was, it seemed they would not be able to find the sword.

 _What do we do?_ he thought. _What would Zelda do?_ Suddenly a thought struck him.

'Impa! Do you remember where the Sealed Temple was? I mean, not exactly, but roughly? Hyrule hasn't changed that much since the time of the Hero, so if the temple was, say, in the desert back then, it would probably still be in the desert now.' Impa looked up.

'That is an excellent idea! Yes, I do remember. The temple was in the forest.' Hyra rummaged through the piles of books surrounding her, and brought out an especially large one.

'Here, this one has a map of Hyrule, as it was in the Hero's time. Do you remember, Impa?' Link peered over the old woman's shoulder as she pored over the map. He looked down at Faron Woods, trying to match the old forest with the one he knew. In the Hero's time, the main markers had been a great tree, visible on the map, and a large body of water labelled Lake Floria to the south. The lake Link knew was still there, and the great tree was in roughly the same place as the one where Faru had hidden his sword. He wondered if they were one and the same.

Impa murmured something under her breath, then pointed to a patch of forest to the left of the main Woods. Link examined it. The map was in most places very detailed, with paths and clearings drawn on. But the rough circle of forest Impa had pointed to was drawn differently: it was blank green, as if the creator of the map had no idea what to put there.

'I believe the Sealed Temple was around there,' Impa said. 'If you are right, Link, you should go to that part of the forest. With luck, it will still be there.' Link thanked her, and gathered his things.

'Are you really leaving right now?' Hyra asked.

'I'm sorry,' Link replied. 'But the sooner I get rid of Casineb, the sooner Hyrule will be safe.'

'And the sooner you'll be able to come back?' the Princess said hopefully. Link smiled, and felt himself beginning to blush.

'That's the plan.' She smiled too, and hugged him.

'Better be quick then,' she whispered in his ear. She watched him until he left the library, then turned back to the table under the pretext of tidying up the books, but really to hide her smile from Impa. But to no avail.

'Your Majesty, I must ask, is this wise?'

'Is what wise?' Hyra asked innocently.

'Playing with the boy's emotions,' Impa replied seriously. Hyra sighed.

'I'm not playing,' she said, looking wistfully out the door to her departing Hero.

-o-

Later that afternoon Impa left the castle, unnoticed in the throng of people queuing to see the Princess. Impa smiled to herself. She had worked carefully to ensure that the truth about the Princess' strange actions had not gotten out; it would have caused panic, knowing that the demons people had heard about as children really existed. She had simply let it be known that the Princess had been unwell, but that all was now normal once more. She just hoped that Link would succeed in his mission, so that things would stay normal.

Leaving the main streets, she went down darker and narrower alleys until she reached the house she had shown Link and Zelda the day before. A white mare stood outside, eating from a trough of hay. Impa patted her absentmindedly, then entered the house.

'Zelda?' she called. The girl poked her head over the stairs.

'You're back early! I thought you said it would take all day for them to search the library?'

'They finished early. Link has already set off for Faron Woods, if you wanted to join him…?' Impa trailed off hopefully. Zelda huffed.

'No.' Impa sighed, but she was not really surprised. She had encountered Zelda the night before, in tears, and offered her sanctuary in her home. Since then the girl had told the old Sheikah about her argument with Link, but Impa didn't think she had heard the whole story.

'Zelda, come here.' She reluctantly obeyed. 'Why didn't you tell Link, or even me, that you knew where the Master Sword was?' Zelda gasped.

'How did you know that?' Impa looked at her kindly.

'You didn't argue with Link over him defeating the demon, you argued with him over finding the Master Sword. The only logical reason you would have a problem with that is if you already knew where the sword was, and you knew that finding it would be somehow dangerous.' Zelda sighed.

'You're right. But it was all pointless,' she said in a small voice. 'Link's going anyway, and we fought over nothing.'

'Most couples do,' Impa said sagely.

'We're not a couple!' Zelda said angrily, her cheeks reddening. 'I don't know why people keep assuming that!' Impa smiled. 'What?' the Hylian asked.

'You remind me so much of your ancestor. And Link, of his.' Zelda sighed.

'I don't need to hear another fairy-tale about how the Hero and the Goddess were so in love, they promised to spend the rest of their lives together, etcetera, etcetera.'

'Well, I wasn't going to insult your intelligence by telling you a fairy-tale. I was going to tell you a true story. _The_ true story, of why those two never did end up spending the rest of their lives together.' Zelda looked up, interested despite herself. Impa smiled and raised a wizened finger. 'Ah, but first you must tell me a story of your own. Tell me why you are so afraid of Link finding the Master Sword.' Zelda hung her head again.

'Because that's what caused all this. I… I used to live in the Sealed Temple with my friends. The Master Sword was there, hidden in the deepest part. They told me never to go near it, but I didn't listen, especially when they started getting sick. One day I listened to the voices and snuck in there, and touched the sword. That's when Casineb was released. That's why all of this is my fault. And I know now there are no more demons in the sword, but I just… don't want Link going there. It could still be dangerous. Everyone I knew died there, and I can't help but feel like something bad is going to happen if he goes as well,' she finished, despondent.

'Don't you feel Link has a right to know all this?' Impa asked gently.

'No. It's none of his business, I'm just being paranoid. And anyway, he'd just think I'm being weak.'

'You know he wouldn't,' Impa said. Zelda stared at the ground for a few moments longer, then looked up.

'I told you my story; now tell me yours.' Impa nodded.

'You know the legends, you know that after defeating Demise Link and Zelda decided to stay on the Surface to be with each other. But the legends stop there. They do not say what those two did after. For a time, they were happy together. They, along with the other Hylians, settled in Faron Woods; Zelda led her people well, and Link served them as a brave warrior. But soon they began hearing reports of monsters in the other regions, relics of Demise's power. Link went away for some months to deal with the threat. Of course, he returned, and things went back to the way they had been before.

But after a while there were more threats, more monsters. Link went away again, for longer that time. And he returned for an even shorter time. And so it continued. Zelda eventually realised that the Hero could never be content with being anything other than what he was: a hero. He would always come back to her if she asked, but the whole time he was with her he would be pining for another adventure. Zelda knew it wouldn't be right to keep him from that life, so she severed her ties with him. They remained friends, but that was all. Your ancestor made sure she was never a reason for Link to return. And then, one day, he didn't return.' Zelda absorbed this.

'But why would he keep leaving? If he loved her?' Impa shrugged.

'He never knew she loved him in return. She never told him. If she had, I am certain he would have stayed. He would have been happy, then. Because he didn't leave because he pined for adventure, he left because staying with the woman he loved, the woman he believed didn't love him in return, was torture.' Zelda sighed.

'There's a lesson in here somewhere, I know there is.' Impa laughed softly.

'Shrewd, just like she was. Except when it came to matters of the heart. There you both fall short.'

'So what you're saying is: if I don't tell Link I love him, I'm going to lose him?' Impa tilted her head to one side.

'Not exactly. _If_ you love him, you should tell him. But first you must do what your ancestor never did: first you must tell yourself that you love him.' She gently placed a hand under Zelda's chin and tilted it so she could look into the girl's eyes. 'Love is not a weakness, Zelda. Letting yourself love Link will not make you any less of a warrior.' Zelda's shoulders sagged.

'You make it sound easy. How am I supposed to know if I love him?' Impa shrugged.

'There I cannot help you. But love is not a science, it is a feeling, an emotion. And like any other emotion you cannot define it, measure it, or really search for it. You may try to do those things, if you do not have it. But if you do, you will know.' Zelda looked away.

'…Alright. I'll think about it.' Impa nodded.

'Thank you. That is all that I ask.'

'But why are you doing this?' Zelda asked, suddenly suspicious. 'Why do you want me and Link to end up together?' Impa shrugged again.

'I have seen love go ignored before, and I have seen the pain that caused. I simply do not wish that to happen again.'

'Fine,' Zelda answered, going back up the stairs. 'But I'm not going after him! ...At least, not yet.' Impa nodded to herself, hoping that her words would have the desired effect.

After a few minutes however, Zelda's head reappeared on the stairs. 'Impa? I was just thinking. You were saying the Link of the past dealt with the remnants of Demise's power. Well, how did he deal with Casineb back then? Without the Master Sword, I mean.' Impa frowned.

'What do you mean? Casineb was not around then.' It was Zelda's turn to frown now.

'But… it must have been! It was created by Demise, and Demise's soul was destroyed by the end of your vigil. So Casineb must already have been created!' Impa shook her head slowly.

'I assure you, it was not. I watched over that sword for millennia. No part of the Demon King's power escaped.' Zelda was deep in thought.

'So if it wasn't created during your vigil,' she said slowly, 'and we know it wasn't created before, that means the only time Demise could have created Casineb is…' Suddenly she gasped, and her eyes widened. She flew down the stairs, past Impa, and straight outside. The Sheikah followed in confusion.

'Zelda? What are you doing?' Zelda had already leapt up on Rhiannon's back.

'Link mustn't touch the Master Sword!' she yelled, galloping away. 'Casineb wasn't the only thing in there!'

-o-

Link glanced around the forest as Epona trotted down the track. He had decided not to leave his horse with Mara, as he didn't want to endure yet another person asking him where Zelda was. Searching the forest on horseback was decidedly harder, but having his loyal mare with him comforted Link. It occurred to him that he had never been truly alone before; he had always had Zelda or Tam with him. He pushed the thought out of his mind. He had considered searching the forest for Tam, but he knew she wouldn't understand about Zelda, and anyway it would take too long. And Link definitely wasn't going to go find Zelda herself.

While he had been lost in his thoughts, Epona had reached a fork in the track, and stopped. Link was about to urge her straight on when he recognised the side track. It was the one leading to Fallhollow Village.

 _I should keep going_ , Link told himself, but without realising it he had already turned Epona down the familiar path. As they approached the village Link mentally prepared himself, remembering the devastation from last time. He wasn't entirely sure why he wanted to go back there, but something in his heart told him it was the right thing to do. He rounded the corner and surveyed the village once again.

To his surprise, the forest already showed signs of healing. The wind had swept away the carpet of ash, and the burnt trees were already being replaced with new ones. Link dismounted and wandered through the village. Flowers were growing up everywhere, creating a sea of tiny blossoms of all colours. Link gazed up at the tree nearest to him. His tree. His wooden house was visible: a burnt wreck, but still standing nonetheless. Without thinking about what he was doing, Link reached for the lowest branch of the tree, and began to climb back up. Standing outside his charred door, Link took a deep breath, then pushed it open. Everything was as he left it, except-

'Tam? What are you doing here?' Link asked in disbelief. The sprite stood with her back to him, in her child form, not saying anything. 'Why are you in the village?' Link continued, but Tam's uncharacteristic silence was beginning to worry him. '…Tam?' He reached out to tap her shoulder, but as he did so caught sight of her hand. He gasped. Three glowing red lines stood out against her green skin. The Mark of Din. Link stepped back in shock, and the demon's laugh echoed around the house. Tam turned around, her eyes blood-red.

'Looks like I got here first,' Casineb said.

-o-

Link drew his sword, but could not bring himself to attack the girl. Though she spoke with the demon's voice, Link knew that stabbing her would only kill the sprite, not the demon.

'Casineb,' he said, his voice low. 'Leave her alone.' Tam's lips curled into the demon's familiar smile.

'And why exactly would I do that?'

'Stop hiding behind a child!' Link said angrily. 'You're supposed to be a demon, something to be feared, and yet you won't even face me in your own body!' He could feel his own Mark of Farore glowing in response to its sister. Casineb was silent.

'Is that supposed to shame me? Intimidate me? You ask me to face you equally. Why would I do that, when we are so clearly unequal?' Link snarled in anger, and lunged forwards. Immediately Tam's eyes faded back to their normal green, and she screamed in terror.

'Link! What are you doing? Don't hurt me!' Link paused, and Casineb's mocking laugh came again, seemingly from the very walls of the house. Tam's eyes went red again.

'You see?' she said in the demon's voice. 'Why would I throw away such an excellent defence? Although…' it mused, 'this child is quite worthless. Barely worth the trouble of possessing. Perhaps I should just get rid of her.' Tam's eyes faded again, she stared around in fear.

'Link, what's going on? What is that thing?' Link gripped his sword tightly and stepped in front of Tam.

'Don't worry. He's not going to hurt you.' Casineb laughed again, and Tam screamed behind him. Link gasped as he saw her floating in mid-air, but not in her sprite form. Casineb was using its magic on her. Link stared, unable to do anything, while Tam looked down at him in horror. The demon's laughter grew louder until it stopped abruptly. All Link could hear was his and Tam's frantic breathing.

Suddenly her neck snapped to one side and there was a sickening crack. Casineb dropped the girl's body on the floor, and Link stared in horror. Tam's eyes were wide and staring, her mouth opened as if about to speak, but she didn't move. Her body no longer glowed.

'Tam?' he whispered. There was no reply.

The little girl was dead.


	15. Chapter 15: Grief

Link stared, unable to move a muscle. He suddenly heard laughter behind him, and spun round. A dark cloud boiled in the air, forming a Hylianoid shape. Casineb smiled its cruel smile. With a ferocious cry Link leapt at the figure, but the cloud dissolved amidst more mocking laughter and Link's sword passed right through. The cloud floated out the door, down out between the trees and Link followed, but hesitated in the doorway. He half-turned, but couldn't bring himself to look back down at the tiny body.

'I will avenge you,' he swore, then leapt down and raced after the cloud. At first he couldn't see the demon, but soon he heard the ceaseless laughter up ahead. He ran after it, sword in hand, but it was always faster than him. Link felt himself breathing more heavily as he ran, but a mixture of grief, rage and adrenalin spurred him on. Every time he blinked the sight of Tam's body flickered briefly before his eyes.

Suddenly he burst out into a clearing, and stopped. The demon had vanished completely. He looked all around him, expecting Casineb to burst out at any moment, but there was silence. Link lowered his sword cautiously, but then felt a burning pain throughout his entire body. The shock of it made him drop his sword, and he fell to the ground, gasping for breath. He heard Casineb's laughter again, but inside his head this time. Looking down at his left hand Link's eyes widened in horror as he saw the Mark of Din branding its fiery lines onto his skin.

'How does it feel to be a puppet?' Casineb asked, and again Link heard its words inside his head. He saw his hand reach out and grasp the hilt of his sword.

 _No!_ Link thought desperately, but his body was no longer under his control. His alien hand reached up and brought the sword to his throat, and- dropped it. Link heard Casineb snarl with rage and surprise as Link's hand burned more fiercely. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a green glow: his Mark of Farore fighting the Mark of Din. Green and red blazed for a moment, then the green light exploded.

When Link's vision returned he could no longer hear Casineb inside his head. Glancing around he saw his sword lying a few feet away, and he reached for it, his body aching from the ordeal. Suddenly Link felt himself lifted up in the air, and the black cloud reformed itself into the demon in front of him. Casineb's face was screwed up in hatred and rage, and Link grunted in pain from the dark magic.

'Very well,' the demon said, and its voice was icy calm. 'If I cannot use you, I will kill you.' Link felt a pressure on the side of his head, trying to force his neck to snap. Link fought it as hard as he could; he realised this was what Tam must have felt in her final moments, and the thought gave him strength. But the demon was stronger, and Link knew he couldn't last much longer.

Suddenly Casineb lurched forward and fell to the ground. Released from the magic, Link did the same. The demon's confusion didn't last long, and it quickly got up, turning to face its attacker from behind. It stepped backwards under another blow. Link gave up trying to see who was behind Casineb, simply grateful he had a friend, and snatching up his sword, slashed at Casineb's back. The demon growled in pain and rage, and spun round, sending Link flying across the clearing with another blast of dark magic.

Link's vision blurred, but he saw a figure behind Casineb leaping at the demon, who disintegrated back into the dark cloud to avoid the attack. The cloud stayed for a moment, as if the demon was considering its options, but then flew off over the treetops. The figure watched it go, then hurried over to Link. He groaned and tried to push himself up, but the figure stopped him. It held something to his mouth and Link felt a cool, sweet liquid sliding down his throat.

 _Red potion_ , he thought groggily. _Now who do I know who has an endless supply of those?_ The potion did its job, and soon Link's vision cleared. The aches didn't disappear though; clearly red potion didn't work on dark magic. Link looked up at his saviour. Zelda knelt in front of him, looking concerned. Link lay back, his mind buzzing with thoughts of Tam, Casineb, and Zelda. But one thought bubbled to the top.

 _She came back,_ he thought, before he succumbed to unconsciousness.

-o-

When Link woke up he immediately reached for his sword, memories of his fight with Casineb coming back to him. What he found instead was Zelda, staring at him in alarm.

'Link, it's alright. Casineb's gone. We're safe.' Link nodded, but then another memory surfaced.

'Tam…' he whispered. Zelda's brow furrowed.

'What about her? Have you seen her?' Link looked at her in disbelief, and it took him a moment to remember that Zelda did not yet know what had happened.

'Zelda… Tam's dead.' Zelda gasped in shock and horror.

'…What? Link, what are you saying? How? Wh-what happened?' Link took a deep breath to steady himself.

'Casineb killed her. It possessed her, and then it killed her.' Zelda was silent, trying to understand what Link was saying. 'So now we've got to go,' Link said, standing up. 'We need to get the Master Sword, we need to kill that monster. For her.' Zelda looked up in alarm, and opened her mouth to speak, but Link continued, 'No, Zelda, I know you have some private and personal reason why we can't do this, but we have to, don't you see?' Zelda thought quickly.

'Alright. I'll come with you to get the sword. But first… Link, where's Tam's body?' Link faltered; he hadn't thought about that.

'It's… She's… in my house. In Fallhollow Village. But we need to-'

'No. We need to lay her body to rest. That comes first. _Then_ we'll avenge her.' Zelda's voice was calm, but quietly insistent. Link's shoulders sagged, and he knew it was useless to argue with her.

'Do I have to look at her?' he asked quietly. The thought of the tiny body was more than he could bear. Zelda came over and hugged him tightly.

'Yes,' she said gently. 'You have to do this. You owe her that much.' She pulled away from Link and to her shock saw that there were tears at the corners of his eyes.

'It's my fault, Zelda,' he said.

'No, it's not. Don't think like that. You didn't kill her, it did. Casineb is the one at fault here, and it _will_ pay for what it did. So stop feeling guilty. You didn't do anything to her. But now we're going to go take care of her body, and we're going to mourn. Then we'll kill that bastard.'

-o-

The sun was just touching the horizon when they reached Fallhollow Village. Zelda led the way, Link following hesitantly, unable to stop the flood of memories. He waited at the base of the tree while Zelda climbed up into the house. There was a long moment of silence, then she said,

'Link, can you come up here?' Link steeled himself and climbed the tree, trying not to think of Tam's wide staring eyes. Inside his house he stared at the wall for a moment, then forced himself to look down at Tam. Zelda had closed her eyes and folded her hands, so she looked as though she was sleeping. But Zelda couldn't bring back her vibrant green glow. Zelda took Link by the hand and led him over. 'Link, I'm going to use my magic to take us to Lake Floria, so we can see Faron. But that means you need to carry her.' Link swallowed hard, then picked up the small body. As in life, she was practically weightless.

Zelda placed her hand on Link's shoulder, and suddenly they were surrounded by green light. 'It's called Farore's Wind,' Zelda told him while the light flickered around them. When the spell faded they were standing on the shores of Lake Floria. The water erupted in front of them, and Faron rose into the air.

'I am sorry,' she said, looking at the ground. Then she held out her hand to take the body. Link instinctively clutched the girl closer, but Zelda said,

'Link, let her. She knows what she's doing.' Faron nodded.

'She is a creature of the forest, in life and in death, and I am the warden of the woods.' Link hesitated, then placed the small body in Faron's hand. She nodded, then waved her other hand over the body. It glowed with blue light for a moment, tinged with green, then the body vanished. Link and Zelda gasped, but Faron reassured them. 'Do not worry. She is where she is meant to be.' With that she turned and dived back into the lake, leaving Link standing there, stunned. Then he shook himself.

'Come on. Let's go.' He started back up the path to the forest, but stopped when he realised Zelda wasn't following.

'Link, it's late. It's been a hard day. Can't we stay here for a night?' Link sighed in annoyance.

'Zelda, the quicker we get to the temple the quicker we can kill Casineb. Don't you want that?' Zelda responded by sitting down on the shore. Reluctantly, Link joined her. He would have left and searched on his own, but he was sure Zelda knew exactly where the Sealed Temple was. Even if she only let them leave in the morning, staying with her would still be quicker.

'Link, what do people in your village do when someone dies?' she asked after a while. Link looked at her, but she was staring out over the lake. He sighed.

'I remember once, an old woman died. She was the oldest person in the village, other than the Elder, and she was like family to all the children. We used to call her Granny.'

'And what did they do with the woman?' Zelda asked. Link sighed, frowning with the effort of remembrance.

'We buried her. That's what we always did, we buried people. Because then they become a part of the forest.'

'Like the Zoras, pushing their dead out into the water so they become a part of the ocean,' Zelda noted. Link nodded; he hadn't thought of that before. 'And then what?'

'We marked her grave. We planted a tree over the body. That was traditional too. The new life springing from the old. We planted flowers around the tree. And the first night, we sat around the grave, and we all stayed awake, the whole night, watching over her. I was… six, I think. No-one explained to me what was going on. I just… understood. We all sat in silence, all night long. No-one even cried. They told me afterwards that people had cried earlier that day, but when we hold the night vigil it's a time for silence. I don't even know why we did it, it just seemed wrong not to.'

Zelda nodded. Then she got up, and walked off towards the forest. She came back a few minutes later, carrying something carefully. When she got closer Link saw it was a tiny sprout, from the seed of one of the giant trees in the woods. He made a hole in the soft earth on the shore of the lake, and Zelda planted the tree. Then she came and sat by him in silence. Link understood.

After a while, he remembered something, and pulling out Mara's flute he played Epona's song. The notes drifted gently over the water, and soon Epona came trotting down to the lake, with Rhiannon following. The two horses settled themselves behind their masters, being careful not to tread on the young tree. Link supposed that there were some things everyone, Hylian and animal, instinctively understood. He leant back against Epona, and they sat there in silence.

After a while Link looked up at the sky. Normally it was a sea of diamond dust stars against black velvet, and tonight was no different. But as a cloud drifted serenely across, Link saw another star, one he had never seen before. It shone brighter than all the others, but that was not what Link noticed. The new star glowed bright green.

-o-

When the first hint of dawn appeared the next morning, Link stirred, and looked over at Zelda. Like him, she was still awake, and had been the whole night. They were tired, but they both understood that sleep was not an option. Still in silence, they mounted up their horses and rode off. Link looked back up at the sky over the lake before he left, and saw the fading light of the green star still in the pre-dawn sky.

Once they were clear of the lake it was as though a veil had been lifted, and the heavy silence that had hung over them was gone. A few birds sang the dawn chorus as Zelda led the way on Rhiannon. Soon Link noticed subtle changes in the forest. Here and there he caught sight of rubble, and occasionally Epona's hooves would clop against a stone path, rather than the usual dirt track. After a while more of this, Zelda suddenly stopped, and turned round to face him. She knew they were getting close to their destination, and Link must have realised that too. She had to tell him now, but she still didn't know how best to say it. She sighed.

'Link, we can't go get the Master Sword.' Link frowned.

'Zelda, I know this is-'

'No, Link, it's not what you think. This isn't me being afraid of my past, this is me being afraid of your future. I was talking to Impa about… stuff, and she said that Demise didn't create Casineb during her watch. And we know he wasn't created before.' Link looked at her in confusion. What did it matter when the demon was created? Zelda sighed. 'Don't you see? That means the only time Demise could have created Casineb was _after_ Impa died.' Link frowned again.

'But his soul was destroyed then.'

'Exactly! Or rather, was it? Because the only way any of this makes any kind of sense is if Demise created Casineb after everyone thought he was dead. Here's what I think happened: Impa watched over the sword for thousands of years, and Demise's soul weakened, to the point where she thought he was completely gone. But he wasn't. He was very weak, far too weak to break free of the Master Sword, but he hung on. And remember what Impa told you? About how Casineb gets power from its hatred? Well, I think that applies to Demise as well.

You see, that treasure I told you about, the one I touched which released the demon? That was the Master Sword. Demise had been strong enough to call out to me, and make me think my friends were dying. Then, when I touched the sword, Demise felt the presence of the Goddess, my ancestor, through me. Remember, he hated her, and so he hated me. That gave him enough power to release Casineb, a manifestation of his power, and… well, you know what happened next.' Link nodded slowly, realising what Zelda was saying.

'So you think that Demise is still in the Master Sword, and if I touch it, I might release him?'

'I'm not saying "might", I'm saying "almost certainly". The only person Demise hated more than the Goddess was the Hero. If he feels your presence, he could get enough power to be released.'

'Then what do we do? How do I get the sword to kill Casineb without releasing Demise?' Zelda hung her head.

'Link, there is no way. I know you want revenge on the demon, I do too, but the risk is just too great.' Link stared at her.

'Zelda, we can't let that thing live! It killed Tam! And it won't stop there. We drove it away from Hyra, but what's to stop it possessing her again?'

'Have you considered that this might be exactly what Casineb wants?' Zelda asked. Link stopped; he hadn't. 'It's a part of its master. Its only goal in life is to free its master. Did you ever think that maybe, this whole time, it's been trying to get you to do just that, to get the Master Sword and free Demise?'

'No, it can't be doing that. It resisted when I tried to get it away from Hyra, it's tried to kill me multiple times!'

'Yes, the key word there being "tried". Think about it, Link. Casineb was strong enough to possess Faron and Lanayru, and imprison Eldin. Those dragons are three of the most powerful beings in existence, but the demon took them over easily. And yet when you show up, suddenly you're able to beat it with just a magic necklace? That doesn't make sense. I think this whole time, Casineb has been manipulating you. It didn't want to lose its hold on the dragons, so it tried to fight you off when it interfered. But if it really wanted to kill you, it could have done. But it didn't. Because it needs you alive, Link.

That's what all this has been about – not stopping you, but urging you on. Everything that demon did – burning Fallhollow, possessing Hyra, killing Tam, even – those things didn't stop you, they just made you want to kill Casineb even more. And it knew that eventually you'd figure out that the only way to do that is to get the Master Sword, thus releasing Demise.

It probably knew I'd realise the danger and try to stop you, so it tried everything it could to anger you, to make you hate it. That way you'd be determined to take the sword, no matter what the risk. Don't you see? All this time, you've been playing Casineb's game. Even when you won, you were still being set up to achieve its goals. And now you're about to let Casineb win.' Link was silent. Eventually he said,

'So what now? We choose between suffering the lesser evil, and by that I mean probably letting many innocent people die horrible deaths, or possibly releasing the greater evil, and by that I mean most likely destroying the world and everything in it. Which one do we do?' Zelda sighed.

'Neither looks brilliant.'

'Alright then. Let's try thinking about this logically. You like logic, right?' Zelda gave him a small smile. 'So. We mustn't let Demise out, whatever we do. But is there a possibility, even a small one, that he won't be released when I take the sword?'

'I guess so… but it's a very, very small possibility.'

'A possibility is a possibility. Size doesn't matter. Now, we also can't let Casineb keep roaming around causing trouble. Is there any way to get rid of it, other than the Master Sword?' Zelda shook her head.

'Absolutely not. Believe me, I've thought about that, and if there was any other way I would not be letting you even consider this.'

'Alright then. So we have to take the Master Sword in order to stop Casineb, and there's a possibility - yes, I know it's small - that Demise won't be released. I say we go find the Sealed Temple and get that sword.' Zelda stared at him.

'It's like you weren't even listening! Link, this is too dangerous.' He shrugged.

'So is letting Casineb live. We've got to avoid the greater danger.'

'Which is freeing Demise!' Zelda insisted. Link looked at her.

'Zelda, I know you're worried. But to be perfectly honest, I'm going to do this no matter what you say. The only choice here is whether you help me or not.'

'Do you have any idea how pig-headed that sounds?' Zelda asked with a raised eyebrow. Link looked at her, and for a moment his eyes flashed green.

'Casineb killed my friend. You don't do that and live.' Zelda sighed, and considered her options.

'Fine. I'll come. But I'm not happy.' Grinning, Link urged Epona forward.

-o-

Soon Zelda stopped once again, and for a moment Link thought she was going to try to persuade him to give up again. But instead she dismounted, signalling Link to do the same. She led him round a corner in the path, and Link looked down into a deep pit below them. It was a courtyard, with a stone building to one side. The side with the building looked a lot older and more ruined than the other side. But the first thing Link noticed was the statue. A gigantic stone statue, showing a woman with wings, hands clasped in prayer, stood in the centre of the courtyard. Her face looked serene, beautiful, and… familiar. Link looked at Zelda, then at the statue, then back at Zelda. The family resemblance was clear. Zelda, watching him, was amused.

'Something bothering you?'

'They made a statue of you!' Link said, too amazed to think straight. Zelda laughed at this.

'No, they made a statue of the Goddess. Hence why it's called the Goddess Statue. I just happen to look a bit like her.' Link was still taking in the beautiful scene.

'So you lived in that temple?' he asked, gesturing to the stone building. She nodded.

'The Sealed Temple.'

'And the Master Sword?'

'At the back,' she answered.

'Right,' Link said, jumping down from the ledge they were standing on and making his way across the courtyard. He was halfway to the doors of the temple when he realised Zelda hadn't followed. She saw him staring at her, and reluctantly came over to join him. Link took her hand, realising how hard it was for her to be back here. Knowing what it was like to lose someone he cared about, Link understood now what she had been through.

'It'll be okay,' he reassured her. 'I'm here.' Zelda smiled weakly at him. They reached the doors, but when Link touched them a glowing blue symbol of Farore appeared on them, and they didn't move. Link tried again, pushing harder, but to no avail. Zelda looked at the doors thoughtfully as Link stared in annoyance.

'Link, remember what Casineb said, about how a dragon sealed it in the mirror? Well, I think that was probably Faron. It would explain how she got cursed. After I… when Casineb was released, Faron must have realised something was badly wrong, so she came here to try and stop it. She used her magic to seal off the temple and imprison the demon in the mirror, but its counterattack must have cursed her.' Link was silent, resisting the urge to stop her. What she was saying was interesting, but Link didn't see how it would help them get into the temple. Then again, Zelda's thought processes were nothing if not convoluted.

'So… any ideas on the seal?' he asked when she stopped. Zelda examined the glowing mark carefully.

'Link, you know how sometimes your Mark of Farore glows? Well, that means you're directly channelling your power.' Behind her back, Link sighed.

 _Again, interesting but not relevant!_ he thought. Zelda turned to him.

'Can you try doing that? I know normally you have to be in a fight for it to work, but can you try channelling your power now? I think that might break the seal.' Link was doubtful, but he looked down at his hand and tried anyway. Nothing happened, and Link felt himself getting more and more frustrated.

 _This is a waste of time_ , he thought. Zelda noticed him struggling, and stopped him.

'Stop pushing it so hard, Link. You have the Courage, like a spring within you. It's not about pulling it out, it's about letting it flow through you.' Link questioned how Zelda knew so much about this, but did as she advised. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the fire burning inside of him. Suddenly he felt his hand grow warm and opening his eyes saw the Mark of Farore glowing bright green.

'Great, Link! Now just touch the door,' Zelda told him. He did so, and the symbol on the door flashed brightly, then faded. The doors slowly opened. Link lowered his arm, and felt Zelda take his hand. Glancing sideways at her, he saw how nervous she looked.

'We can do this,' he reminded her. She nodded, but didn't look convinced. Together they went into the Sealed Temple.

-o-

Link looked around the ancient building. The old ceiling had broken in places, allowing shafts of sunlight to illuminate the interior. There was a door, presumably leading to out to another part of Faron Woods, on the right, and on the left was a room with a huge tree growing in it.

'The Tree of Life! It's still alive!' Zelda cried with delight, running over to the tree.

'The… what?' Link asked.

'The Tree of Life! It's said to have been planted here by the Hero. It produces one fruit in its lifetime, and that Fruit of Life can cure any ailment.' A small door led off from this room, and Zelda, catching sight of it, rushed through it. Link followed, into what looked like a bedroom. Books lined the walls, and Link realised that this must have been Zelda's old room.

'I'm guessing this place hasn't changed much since you lived here, huh?'

'I hope not!' Zelda answered, but her voice was muffled as she was rummaging under her bed for something. She brought out a large piece of folded cloth, with a bird insignia on it. 'Hold this!' was all the explanation Link got at the cloth was shoved into his hands. Zelda emerged a few moments later, holding a beautiful golden harp. 'I hoped this was still here!' she said excitedly, showing it to Link. He was impressed; uncultured though he was, even he could tell that it was a very fine instrument.

'Um… here's your cloth,' he told her, handing it back to her.

'Thanks! These things are very important to me. I left them here when I ran away, but I'm glad to finally have them back.'

'That's great. Um… What exactly are they?' Link asked, confused. Zelda looked sad for a moment.

'They were my mother's. She passed them down to me when she died. This harp is called the Goddess Harp. It's been in our family for generations, and according to legend it's the same harp the Goddess herself played. And this cloth is a Sailcloth, another family heirloom. It was the Goddess' gift to the Hero, but I guess he gave it back at some point. Probably when she severed her ties with him and he left her for the final time. Anyway, they're all I have to remember my mother by, so they're important.' Link nodded.

'Should we…?' he said, gesturing back out into the main temple. He didn't want to interrupt an important moment for Zelda, but he was acutely aware that Casineb was out there somewhere in the forest, and could come back at any moment. If it did, Link wanted to have the Master Sword by his side.

'Oh! Right,' Zelda said, putting her harp and Sailcloth in her pack. 'All done.' As they walked back out Link took another opportunity to admire the temple. What looked like an enormous stone cogwheel stood in the centre, with a raised stone circle behind it. In front of the circle, steps led up to a part of the floor lit by a bright sunbeam, and behind it were two heavy stone doors. Link walked over to the wheel. It felt strangely cold to the touch, although it was warm in the temple.

'What's this?' he called over to Zelda.

'Apparently, it's a Gate of Time. The Hero used it to travel between his time and the past.'

'Apparently?' Link asked. It was unusual for Zelda to sound unsure about anything.

'Yes. It's been dormant ever since he defeated Demise and returned to his own time, and I've never seen it do anything other than sit there. It can't be activated anymore.' Link nodded, and stepped up to the platform at the back, by the stone doors. He tried to push them aside, and to his shock they opened smoothly at his touch. Zelda came to stand behind him, and gasped. Inside the next room, resting in a stone pedestal, was the Master Sword.

-o-

Link walked over to the sword as if in a trance, reaching out for the hilt that seemed somehow so familiar…

'Link!' Zelda yelled. He turned.

'What?'

'Didn't you hear me? I said your name about ten times!' Link shook himself, the strange trance wearing off.

'What did you want to say?'

'Are you sure about this?' she asked, looking hopeful. He sighed.

'Zelda, we've been through this.'

'Yes, but this is your last chance. If you touch that sword, you might release the greatest evil this world has ever seen. Are you sure avenging Tam is worth that?' Link hesitated, but remembered the sickening crack as Casineb snapped the little girl's neck. He looked straight at Zelda, and again his eyes burned green.

'He killed my friend. He has to die for that. If that means I have to fight Demise, so be it. I'd rather fight every demon he can summon than let Tam's killer go unpunished.' Zelda was struck by the ferocity of his words, and nodded. But as Link turned back to the sword she offered up a prayer to Nayru.

'Please, please don't let this go wrong,' she whispered. Link took his own sword and its sheath off his back, pausing a moment to silently thank Faru for giving it to him. He laughed quietly to himself, knowing that his friend could never have foreseen how much he would need it. He took a deep breath, reached out, and grasped the dark blue hilt of the Master Sword. He pulled, and the sword came out easily. He felt a warm sensation flowing down his sword arm, like the moment he had first held a sword, but much stronger. Turning his hand, he saw his Mark of Farore blazing green.

Out of the corner of his eye Link saw a glint of light, and looked back at his new sword. It glowed with a pale light, and felt strangely powerful. Suddenly Link heard a short scream behind him, abruptly cut off. He spun round, and saw Zelda crumpled against the wall. Casineb stood in front of Link, the magic it had used on Zelda fading around its hands.

'So. The _Hero_ , come to get his blade,' the demon sneered. 'Let us see how well you use it.' It waved its hands, and a sword of its own appeared, pure black. Without warning, it leapt at Link. The Hylian rolled out the way, and sliced at the demon. Casineb jumped back to avoid the attack, but the light from Link's sword fountained out into a shockwave that hit his opponent across the chest. Link was stunned, but Casineb seemed to have expected it as the demon slashed at Link without pause. Link blocked each blow, retreating until his back brushed the wall.

He ducked under the next blow, rolled round and slashed at the demon's back. Casineb growled in pain, and attacked as it turned, catching Link across the shoulder. The magic from the sword burned almost as much as the gash, but Link ignored it, counterattacking and cutting across Casineb's sword arm. He whirled round in a spin attack which knocked the demon onto its back, its sword flying out of its hand and landing on the other side of the room. While the demon groaned, Link raised his sword skyward once more, and felt the energy fill his blade.

'For Tam,' he said, and leapt into the air, landing sword down on Casineb's chest. The sacred light from the sword coursed through the demon's body, making it convulse. Finally, it lay still, the emotionless black eyes staring up at the ceiling. It sighed, its last breath leaving it. But as it did so it smiled the same cruel smirk Link had seen so many times before.

'Master…' it managed, before it fell still. Link waited, panting, to see if the demon was really dead. Something had made it smile, and Link felt sure that anything that could make Casineb happy was bad news for him. But suddenly its body burst into dark fragments, which vanished into the air. Link let out a long breath, and his Mark of Farore blazed in triumph. Link felt a weight lifted off his shoulders as he knew Tam could rest easy now, wherever she was.

'Link…' a weak voice said. Link turned, and saw Zelda rubbing her head. 'What… happened?'

'I did it. Casineb's gone,' he said. Zelda smiled at him, and he returned it. But suddenly his hand burned again, painfully this time. Looking down in confusion Link was almost blinded by the light. Black hairline cracks began to appear along the blade of the Master Sword, extending down to the very tip. Suddenly a stream of darkness poured off the sword, engulfing Link. Something in the black inferno laughed at Link, and his blood ran cold as he recognised it. It was Casineb's laugh, but deeper. Just as quickly as it had appeared the darkness vanished, up into the sky, and Link staggered backwards from shock. Zelda ran up and grabbed him, keeping him upright, as he stared up in horror.

'Link! What was that thing?' she asked. Link whispered in answer, so soft she could barely hear him.

'Demise.'

-o-

A/N: Told you a proper Zelda villain would make an appearance.


	16. Chapter 16: The Long-Lost Island

A/N: Big chapter today. And we're off to a familiar location... at least, if you've played Skyward Sword.

-o-

Zelda stared in shock, first at Link, then at the Master Sword, then at the sky above where Demise had gone. Her mind raced, and finally she let out a long breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding in.

'Alright,' she said. Link turned to her.

'What do you mean, alright? You were right! I just released an ancient evil being of unimaginable power, and all you have to say is "alright"? What in Farore's name is wrong with you, Zelda?' She took a deep breath.

'We have two options right now. We could accept that the end of the world is nigh and spend what little time we have left trying to find somewhere to hide. Or, we could remember that our ancestors beat this thing before, and try to find some way to beat it again. Personally, I prefer option two. But we can only use option two if we don't completely freak out about this. So yes, this is about as bad as things could possibly get. But all that means is that everything that happens now is an improvement.' Link stared at her.

'Is that woman logic, or Zelda logic, or no logic whatsoever? Because right now I don't understand any of those.' Zelda had to laugh at this.

'Alright. Now why don't we just… sit down…' She practically collapsed onto the steps, breathing heavily. Link sat down beside her.

'Well, there's an upside,' he said at last.

'Do enlighten me,' Zelda said dryly.

'Now I know how you felt when you released Casineb. Not the best feeling, is it?' Zelda smiled slightly.

'You could say that. Oh Link, what have you done?' she said, burying her head in her hands. Link was silent.

 _What did I do?_ he wondered. _Well, apart from doom every living creature in Hyrule_. Zelda sighed, and stood back up.

'Right. Come on.' She grabbed Link by the arm and hauled him to his feet, towing him towards the entrance of the Sealed Temple.

'Wait! Zelda, what are you doing?'

'We've spent long enough sitting there in shock. Now we need to figure out how to destroy Demise. I don't see any clues in here.' Link allowed himself to be pulled along. With Zelda, he reflected, it was often best to let the idea run its course and hope he still had all four limbs attached at the end of it. That was certainly easier than arguing with her. Zelda pulled him back into her old room and began pulling books off the shelves and throwing them on the bed. Link dodged to the side as one nearly hit him.

'Zelda? What's going on?'

'I need something!' she replied, and kept searching. Finally one shelf was clear, and Zelda reached right to the back, coming out with a slim volume, covered in dust.

'What's that?' Link asked.

'It's my ancestor's diary. She wrote all about her adventures in here.'

'How did you get it? Another family heirloom?' Zelda shook her head.

'My friends gave it to me. I'd read every other book here, so they gave me this one. I don't know how they got it. But… I never read it before now.' She shook herself out of her daze. 'Apparently my ancestor wrote down everything. There should be something about Demise in here.' Link nodded.

'So… while you read that, what do you want me to do?' Zelda was about to answer when the ground suddenly rumbled. The Hylians looked at each other in confusion, then ran outside. At first Link saw nothing, but then he looked up at the Goddess Statue.

'Zelda, look! Up there!' She followed his gaze and saw what he was pointing at. There was a platform on the statue, in the hands of the goddess, and it glowed with a circle of light. Link wondered what it was, but Zelda was already running towards the statue. He joined her, and watched as she began to climb up to the platform, high above. The stone was smooth, but the sculpture offered many handholds to the climbers, as Link followed his friend's lead. Halfway to the platform he made the mistake of looking down. The ground was a long way below him.

'What happens if we fall?' he shouted across to Zelda. 'Did you think about that?'

'I was trying not to!' she yelled back. Link tried not to look down again. Soon he pulled himself up on the platform, and investigated the circle of light.

'What is it?' he asked Zelda. She shrugged.

'One way to find out.' She stepped into the circle, and immediately her golden hair blew up as if in a great wind. Cautiously Link joined her, and found that there was indeed a great wind, blowing from the hands of the statue itself and almost lifting him off his feet.

'What do we do now?' Link asked, and to his surprise he could be heard easily over the gale. Zelda shook her head.

'I don't know. This thing appearing must somehow be connected to you taking the Master Sword, or defeating Casineb, or releasing Demise, but I don't know which one and I don't know what's going to happen.' Link thought for a moment, and suddenly remembered something.

'Zelda! Your Sailcloth!'

'What about it?'

'The Hero used his Sailcloth to travel between the Surface and the Sky. Maybe we can do the same!'

'You want to try go to Skyloft? Link, that's crazy! It was destroyed years ago.'

'Do you know that?' Zelda faltered.

'Well… no, but it must have been. Otherwise we'd hear from people up there.' Link shook his head.

'Zelda, it's the only idea we've got, and I'm sure it's what we're supposed to do. Please, just trust me?' She looked at him for a long moment, then pulled out the Sailcloth, holding it by two corners. It billowed wildly in the wind until Link grasped hold of the other two corners. For a moment nothing happened, then they were thrown up into the air. Zelda gasped as the ground dropped away beneath them, and still they climbed higher into the sky.

They passed through the cloud barrier and kept going, until suddenly the wind faded and they were thrown off into the sky. Link saw the clouds below rushing up to meet him, and he thought frantically. But then a memory rose in his mind, a memory of an event he had never experienced. He raised his hands and whistled, the sound spreading out across the sky. Zelda looked at him and yelled something, but he couldn't hear it over the rushing of the wind.

Link waited, not knowing what would happen next, but somehow he was sure whistling was the right thing to do. Suddenly his view of the clouds was replaced by something bright red, and he fell heavily onto a feathery back. Looking up in shock he saw that he and Zelda had been caught on the back of a bright red bird. It turned its head to look at Link, and cawed loudly. Link laughed with joy, and gripped on tightly to a leather strap around the bird's chest. He couldn't explain it, but riding the bird felt so familiar. Zelda manoeuvred herself behind him and put her arms round Link, holding on tightly.

'What are you doing?' she yelled over the wind.

'I'm not sure!' Link replied. 'I feel like I remember doing this, but I've never seen this thing before.' Zelda looked confused, then realisation dawned.

'Link, this is a Loftwing. Not just any Loftwing, but a Crimson Loftwing, said to be the one ridden by the Hero of the Skies. You remember doing this because your ancestor did it. And the bird must recognise you!' Link smiled at this and patted the bird's neck. It responded with another caw and turned, flying off into the clouds. Link took the opportunity to look around the sky. The sun was bright up here, and Link had to shade his eyes. But in the distance he could see large rocks floating in the air, apparently unsupported.

 _Maybe Skyloft isn't gone after all_ , he thought hopefully. His Loftwing flew up higher, and Link saw it was aiming for a floating rock with a hole in the middle of it. He panicked, thinking they wouldn't fit through, but he trusted the bird's instincts as they were far better than his own. And besides, his memory didn't extend to how to steer the bird. They would just have to let it take them wherever it wanted to go. Link felt Zelda hunch closer to him as they approached the rock.

'Don't worry! I'm pretty sure the Loftwing knows what it's doing,' he reassured her.

'Pretty sure? Oh, that's comforting!' she shot back. But then they were through the rock, and Link felt a sudden burst of speed.

 _So that's what it was up to_ , he thought. Soon he could make out a shape through the clouds ahead of them. At first he thought it was another floating piece of rock, but it was far too big.

'Is that…?' he asked Zelda. She nodded silently, gazing ahead in awe.

'I can't believe it's still up here,' she said. As they got nearer to the floating island other birds appeared out of the mist surrounding them, in many different colours. A vivid blue bird flew alongside them, and cawed. Link was confused, then looked back at Zelda.

'Your bird?' he asked. Zelda tentatively reached out a hand, and the blue bird flew closer, so that her outstretched hand touched the bird's wing. Laughing with delight Zelda suddenly leapt onto the back of the other bird, which spun in the sky, glad to have its master back once again. In response, Link's bird joined Zelda's, and the two chased each other through the clouds, each rider urging their bird on.

But soon they approached Skyloft, and Link looked down at it with trepidation. The island might still have existed, but they had no way of knowing what they would find on it. The Loftwings flew low over the island, and when they were close enough, Link jumped off the bird's back and rolled when he hit the ground, Zelda following. He helped her up, and together they took their first look at Skyloft.

-o-

They were standing in a circular plaza, with a tall tower behind them. In front was a purple building made entirely of tents, which Link investigated cautiously. The inside was dark, with only a few gaps in the tent material to let in light. The floor was a patchwork of rugs, thrown over each other in a haphazard manner. There were several wooden structures which reminded Link of shops, but they were all bare. Zelda entered the tent behind him, flipping through her ancestor's diary.

'Anything good in there?' Link asked her.

'Yes! She drew a picture of Skyloft, and labelled all the buildings. I guess she thought someone might need it in the future. It looks like we're in the Bazaar, which she said used to be full of shops.' Link looked around and nodded.

'What else?'

'She talks about all the buildings in Skyloft: the houses, the Light Tower, the Knight Academy – and the Isle of the Goddess, which she says is what crashed to earth and now forms part of the Sealed Temple.'

'Where is everyone?' Link asked. The island looked very well-preserved, as if the inhabitants would come out at any moment and resume their lives. But there were no signs of life. Link had expected Skyloft to be empty, but then why would everything look so normal? Zelda turned over a few more pages.

'She says that after she and Link decided to stay on the Surface, the others gradually followed. Eventually Skyloft was abandoned. My guess would be, everything looks like this because we're so high up. There are no monsters here to ruin the buildings, and somehow they don't seem to have collapsed on their own. Maybe it's something to do with the Goddess' power?'

Link went back out into the plaza. To his left were houses, and a path leading to a lake. Following it, Link saw a waterfall cascading over the edge of Skyloft to the clouds below, and another waterfall flowing into the lake from a floating island above. Link marvelled at the idea that the Goddess' power had kept the island in the sky for so long. He turned back, and started up the path leading to a low building, with a pair of locked gates in front of it. Frowning, Link looked around for another way in.

'Link! Over here!' Zelda called, standing by a set of stairs leading to the roof of the building. Link hurried over, but as he did so something else caught his eye. Another, open gate led to the Bazaar and the Plaza, and opposite it was the remains of a shattered wooden bridge. Zelda came over, holding up the diary critically. 'Judging by my ancestor's drawings, the Isle of the Goddess used to be beyond there, before it fell to earth,' she explained. 'Come on, let's go check out the Academy!'

Link followed her across to the low building. A door led down from the roof, which surprisingly wasn't locked. Inside, the Academy was very homely-looking, with a kitchen, library and several bedrooms. Link wandered into one of them, and Zelda followed. The room looked like any other, except for a large number of books, but when Zelda looked around she gasped. Link turned to see what she was looking at. On the wall was a painting of a tall, white-haired man, with a young blond-haired girl on his knee. Link recognised the girl immediately.

'Hey! That's your ancestor! Which means this place-'

'Is her old room!' Zelda said excitedly. Link ran out of the room. 'Where are you going?' Zelda yelled after him.

'To find my room!' Link shouted back. He soon found it: a simple but comfortable room, with a cupboard in the corner. Link opened it out of curiosity, and found a blue rupee on the shelf. He smiled, pocketing it. Apparently his ancestor had been just as absent minded as he was. He thought, given the circumstances, the Hero wouldn't mind him taking the jewel.

'Nice,' Zelda commented, appearing at the doorway. 'So, what do you want to do now?' Link considered this. He had been so absorbed in exploring Skyloft that he really hadn't given any thought to what to do afterwards.

'Not sure. Does your magic book have any ideas?' Zelda sighed.

'It turns out Link was the one who went around defeating Demise. Zelda just went to sleep in the Sealed Temple. She mentions vaguely what he got up to, but I'm going to have to read this thing properly if we're going to get any real clues.' Link nodded.

'Well, you don't need me for that. I'm going for a flight.' Zelda glared at him.

'Haven't you got anything better to do?'

'Right now? No. And anyway, my Loftwing waited centuries for me up here. The least I can do is say hello.' Zelda sighed.

'That does sound pretty good, actually. Alright, I'm coming.' They left the Academy, and went to the edge of the nearest wooden landing. Link peered down into the clouds, and wondered how far away his bird was. Would it catch him in time? Would it even respond to his call? 'Scared?' Zelda asked.

'No!' Link said. Zelda grinned.

'Then jump!'

'You first,' Link said, mock-bowing. Zelda rolled her eyes. Then she looked out at something behind Link.

'Look! Over there!' Link spun round, but saw nothing.

'I don't-' he began, but suddenly he felt two firm hands pushing him over the edge. He managed to whistle on his way down, but for a long moment nothing happened. Then he heard the familiar call of his bird, and the Loftwing soared down underneath him. He heard Zelda whistling above, and a blue blur shot past as her own bird caught her. 'That wasn't funny!' he told her when she appeared. She giggled.

'It was a bit.' Link huffed and urged his bird forward, flying high into the sky and then diving, gaining speed. Soon Zelda was far behind, but Link didn't care. He soared around Skyloft, marvelling at the beauty of the floating island. Then he veered out into the open sky, setting off for the nearest floating island. It turned out to have what looked like a gigantic pumpkin on it. Link leapt from his bird, landing hard, and went inside.

'Hello?' he called, just in case. There was no reply. Link recognised the interior of the building as a bar: it greatly resembled the one owned by Charenn and Mylin. An ornate chandelier hung above, and behind the bar was a huge cauldron, sadly empty. The sight of it reminded Link how long it had been since he had last eaten, and his stomach grumbled loudly.

There was a door at the back of the bar, and outside Link saw a field of pumpkins. He looked around, feeling like an idiot for doing so, but he didn't feel right taking other people's property. But no-one had been up here for centuries, so Link decided to help himself, picking a few of the ripest-looking gourds. He placed them in his pack, leapt off the island, and soon he was flying again.

As the setting sun turned the clouds orange, Link let his Loftwing glide for a while, just enjoying the beautiful evening. The air was perfectly clear up here, and Link felt as though he could see to the end of the world. He felt a twinge of envy for his ancestor, living in such a paradise, and part of him wondered why he had ever left. The stars were brighter up here too, and Link smiled as he saw the green one. It almost looked as though the sprite herself were floating up there, just out of reach. Link lifted his arm up lazily, as if to catch the star. But suddenly his Loftwing cawed, and began to fly in the direction of Skyloft.

'Hey!' Link said, trying to turn the bird around, but it was insistent. Link leapt off as it flew low over the plaza, and watched it as it flew off into the sky, further than he could see.

'You got ditched too?' Zelda asked behind him. He nodded. 'In the book it says that Loftwings don't fly at night. My ancestor doesn't say why, so I assume it was a mystery then as well. I guess if we want to get back to the Surface we have to wait until morning.' The mention of the book and Zelda's ancestor reminded Link.

'Did you find anything?' Zelda bit her lip.

'Sort of. Look, let's find something to eat, and then I'll tell you.' Link rummaged in his pack and brought out his find from earlier.

'Pumpkin sound good?'

-o-

Link lay back against the stone as the firelight flickered. They had made a fire in the centre of the plaza, and the smell of roasted pumpkin wafted up into the night. When he and Zelda had both eaten their fill, he asked her.

'So. What did you find?'

'Well, the good news is I found out how the Hero beat Demise the first time. The bad news is I don't think that method is going to work for us.' Link propped himself up on one elbow.

'Explain.'

'Link had to go find three sacred flames to purify the Goddess Sword, so it became the Master Sword, the blade of evil's bane, the only weapon capable of defeating Demise. That's fine, we've already got the sword. But once he did that, the Hero had to find the other thing he needed to win: the Triforce.' Link let out a long breath and lay back. He had heard tales of the legendary Triforce for as long as he could remember, until it had taken on a semi-mythical status.

'So it really exists?' he asked. Zelda nodded.

'In your ancestor's time, it was kept safe in a place called the Sky Keep, which I think was underneath the Goddess Statue.'

'How are we going to get there? That's buried in the ground!'

'I know, but we don't need to go there. After it was used to defeat Demise, it reappeared in the Sealed Grounds, until my ancestor sealed it away.'

'Then what?'

'Then nothing,' Zelda replied. 'The diary ends there. Link and Zelda decided to stay on the Surface, she sealed the Triforce away, and they lived happily ever after. Or rather, as we know, they didn't.' Link sighed in frustration.

'So we know nothing.'

'Not exactly, we know we need to find the Triforce. We just don't know where it is.'

'…So we know nothing,' Link repeated. Zelda put the book to one side and bit into a slice of pumpkin thoughtfully.

'My ancestor said she used her magic to seal the Triforce away. Let's start from there. Where would her magic send it?'

'It's not going to work, Zelda,' Link said flatly. 'You can't figure this out just by thinking really hard. We weren't there, we don't know what happened.'

'Actually, that's not a bad idea,' Zelda said slowly.

'What is?'

'You said if we were there, we would know what happened.'

'That's not what I-' Link began, but Zelda ignored him.

'So if we find someone who was there, they could tell us!'

'Great plan,' Link said sarcastically. 'All we need to do is go back in time a few centuries and ask someone then.'

'What about Impa?' Zelda asked. 'She was around.'

'She died after they returned to their own time, remember? She said a bit of time passed before she was reincarnated. She probably missed the sealing away.'

'Hmm…' Zelda said. Link sighed. Suddenly he sat bolt upright.

'Faron!' he said. Zelda was confused.

'What about her?'

'The dragons! They were around at the time of the Hero, weren't they? So maybe they know what happened! The Sealed Grounds aren't far from Lake Floria, and for something as important as the Triforce, Faron must have been there to see it!'

'Link, that's brilliant!' Zelda exclaimed, sounding happy and surprised in equal measure. Link was slightly hurt.

'I know it's hard to believe, but I am smart sometimes,' he mumbled. Zelda lay back again.

'So now all we have to do is wait until morning, then fly back down to the Surface and go find Faron!' Link smiled contentedly.

'What do we do until then?' he asked. Zelda shrugged.

'Rest, I suppose.' Link lay back, letting his eyes wander up to the green star above them. He smiled sadly as he thought of the forest sprite, wishing she was there with them.

 _She would have loved to see Skyloft_ , he thought.

'Don't do that,' Zelda said.

'Do what?' Link asked, propping himself up on his elbows to look at her.

'Don't dwell on Tam. It won't do any good, trust me.' Link's gaze softened as he watched Zelda, who stared down at the ground. He had forgotten that Tam's death was not the first Zelda had suffered through. His mind's eye watched the younger Zelda as she wept for her friends. Suddenly Link realised that their visit to the Sealed Temple earlier that day was the first time Zelda had been back there since her friends died.

'It… it must have been hard for you, in the temple,' he said softly. 'I'm sorry, I didn't think-'

'Don't worry about it. I managed, didn't I?' Zelda said, smiling bravely. 'But yes. It was hard. And after losing Tam… I felt like history was repeating itself. Like the Sealed Temple was cursed.' Link looked away, but Zelda wasn't finished, taking a deep breath. 'You know… I never mentioned it before, because I didn't want to upset Tam. But the reason she was always so lonely… that was because of me.' Link frowned.

'What do you mean?'

'She told us she was the last forest sprite, didn't she? Well, there used to be others. I knew others.' Link frowned, but suddenly realised what she was saying.

'Your friends – they were forest sprites?' Zelda nodded slowly.

'Yes. They lived in the deepest parts of the forest, near the Sealed Temple. After my mother died, I started living there too. They found me and took me in, giving me a home and – well, I've told you the story.' Link nodded, remembering Zelda's tale after they had saved the Zoras. Zelda's prior knowledge of forest sprites explained why she wasn't fazed when meeting Tam, and how she knew that forest sprites couldn't leave the woods. Link's attention returned to Zelda as she took a few breaths to steady her voice, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.

'And then Casineb killed them all. So that's why there aren't any forest sprites left, that's why Tam was alone. It's my fault.' Link shifted round so he was sitting next to Zelda, putting a comforting arm round her shoulder.

'It's not your fault, it's Casineb's. And he's gone now. So stop beating yourself up over this.' Zelda smiled weakly.

'You're starting to sound like me,' she said with a chuckle. Link shrugged.

'You've given me so much good advice in the past. It's only logical that I should start to return the favour.' Zelda laughed properly this time.

'You've never been all that keen on logic though, have you?' Link laughed as well, but halfway through it turned into a yawn. With the excitement of exploring Skyloft, then talking to Zelda, he hadn't realised how tired he was. He felt it now, though.

'Where do you think we should sleep?' he asked.

'Well, we've got rooms in the Academy, and it doesn't look as though their original owners are coming back for them anytime soon,' Zelda said. 'It'll be nice to sleep on a proper bed again. I'm going to have an early night. Coming?' she asked. Link nodded, finishing off the last piece of pumpkin.

Zelda led the way back to the Academy, and they said goodnight in the hallway outside their rooms. Link lay down on the old bed, and to his surprise his body rolled into a groove made by the last user. Link smiled, realising that the shape fitted his body exactly. Clearly his ancestor had spent as much time asleep as he did.

 _Or used to_ , Link thought yawning, fondly remembering the times he had slept in until midday. He closed his eyes and was instantly asleep.

-o-

He woke in the middle of the night, his body aching.

 _What's going on?_ he thought. He sat up in bed, and heard a strange noise from outside his room. He opened the door cautiously, and gasped in surprise when he saw a blue, female figure hovering above the stairs. Without a word she floated backwards, up the stairs. Link chased after her, but she moved again, leading him up the stairs and through another hallway. Subconsciously Link noticed the lamps along the corridor were lit.

 _When did that happen?_ he wondered. _I didn't light them, and I'm pretty sure Zelda didn't either_. Soon the figure reached the double doors at the entrance of the Academy, and passed through them as though they weren't there. Link pulled one open cautiously, being careful not to wake the others – _what others? There's only me and Zelda_! Link thought. _Whose thoughts am I thinking here?_

The figure floated down and away, across Skyloft. She passed over the wooden bridge leading to the Isle of the Goddess – _which isn't here anymore_ , Link thought. _I'm in the past_. Link's guide moved down a narrow path, along the side of the island, and Link struggled to keep up. Eventually he made it, round behind the Statue of the Goddess. By this point Link had given up wondering what was going on, and had decided to let this strange state of affairs run its course.

There was a stone panel at the base of the statue, with a bird design on it. The figure floated through the panel, and the door suddenly vanished. Link went through the opening, and looked around the room inside the statue. The room was lit by a few lamps, and in the centre stood a pedestal with a sword resting in it. It looked similar to the Master Sword, and Link reached up to his own sword – only to find it wasn't there.

He approached the pedestal cautiously, looking around for his guide, and suddenly she burst out of the handle of the sword, hovering over him.

 _'Master,'_ she said. Link opened his mouth to reply, but abruptly white light erupted around him, blinding him.

-o-

When he opened his eyes he was staring at the ceiling of his room, lying on the bed the same way he had been when he went to sleep.

 _So, it was just a dream_ , Link thought. _But whose dream?_

'Link? Did I wake you?' a small voice from the door asked. Link sat up. Zelda was standing there, looking concerned.

'No, it's fine. Is everything alright?'

'Yes, it's just… I had a dream. I assume you had one too?' Link nodded. 'I thought so. It's just… when I woke up, I felt really… alone. Um… I was wondering…' she broke off, unable to continue. Link was confused, then realised what it was she wasn't asking.

'Hey, it's pretty cold tonight. Maybe it would be better if we shared a bed? You know, for warmth,' he said. Zelda smiled at him.

'Yes, that's a good idea.' Link shifted across and Zelda snuggled under the covers next to him. Link put his arm round her, and felt himself drifting back off to sleep. The last thing he heard before he succumbed to unconsciousness was Zelda's voice.

'Link? Thanks.' He smiled, and was still smiling when he woke up the next morning.

-o-

He blinked a few times, his eyes adjusting to the dawn light. Up here above the clouds it was much brighter, and for a moment he was blinded. He stretched, and felt Zelda stir next to him.

'…Link? What time is it?'

'Too early,' Link replied, yawning. Zelda got up and opened the wooden shutters on the window. Link groaned as the sunlight streamed straight into his eyes, making Zelda laugh.

'Come on, you can't sleep in! We've got work to do, remember? Demise? The Triforce?' Link nodded wearily, but then remembered something.

'Zelda, I had the weirdest dream last night. There was this woman, except she was blue and didn't really look like a woman. And she was leading me round Skyloft, except I think it was Skyloft in the past, when the Isle of the Goddess was still attached. And I think I was in someone else's body.' Zelda sat back down next to him, and flipped through her ancestor's diary. She found what she was looking for, and held the book up.

'This blue woman, did she look something like this?' Link squinted at the page. There was a drawing of a blue figure, who did indeed look very similar to the one from his dream.

'Yes! Who is that?'

'Apparently her name is Fi. She's the spirit of the Goddess Sword, and later the Master Sword. She accompanied Link on his adventure.' Link glanced over at the Master Sword, lying on the floor.

'Do you think she's still in there?'

'She could be, but the fact that we've seen no sign of her makes it unlikely. When Demise was defeated and she went back into the sword for the final time, she probably either died or went dormant, and she won't wake up again.' Link nodded.

'So I saw this… Fi. She led me to a room inside the Statue of the Goddess, and she came out of a sword there, which looked a bit like the Master Sword.'

'This one?' Zelda asked, flipping back a few more pages and holding up a drawing of a sword. Link nodded. 'That's the Goddess Sword – the one I told you about, remember? The one given to the Hero when he started his adventure. The one that became the Master Sword.'

'So then, my dream… that was from the point of view of the Hero?'

'Probably. In fact, I would say it's actually a memory. What you said, about Fi leading you to the Master Sword, that sounds a lot like what happened to the Hero when he started his adventure. You slept in his home, his room, his bed. Some ancestral echo must have reached you, and his memory manifested as a dream.' Link looked doubtful.

'That sounds pretty complicated.' Zelda shrugged.

'It makes sense. And it's the same theory I have about my dream.'

'What dream?' Link asked, interested.

'It wasn't as… coherent as yours. I dreamt I was flying on my Loftwing, and then suddenly there was this tornado, and I fell into it. There was someone – I didn't see his face, but he was yelling my name and reaching for me. But he didn't catch me, and then I woke up before I hit the ground. I think it was probably the Hero. My ancestor said that she fell to the Surface in a tornado, and that's what started her journey. So it makes sense: we're reliving our ancestor's experiences, because we're in a place that's so connected to them. And remember, there hasn't been anyone else up here for centuries. Any remainder of their presences has been undisturbed in all that time. Then we come up here, and it resonates.'

Link still wasn't convinced. It all sounded rather too spiritual for him. He cleared his throat.

'Well… Anyway, should we get going? Saving the world and all that.' Zelda smiled

'Alright.' She went back to her room while Link gathered his equipment, and they left the Knight Academy.

-o-

Skyloft was silent. Link was by now used to waking up before dawn, and knew it was a quiet time, but up here there was no sound whatsoever.

'There are no birds up here, other than the Loftwings, so there's no morning chorus,' Zelda whispered next to him. Clearly the silence was getting to her too; it felt wrong to talk at full volume. 'There are no insects, no monsters. The only living things up here, who could make noise, are the Loftwings, who are asleep, and us.' Link nodded, but the sensible explanation did little to comfort him. It still felt too quiet, and Link was accustomed to peace only when it was closely followed by something trying to kill him.

Soon they reached the plaza, and Link stepped out cautiously onto the wooden platform. He was about to jump, but instead whistled, waiting for the answering caw. But none came.

'I guess the birds are still asleep,' Zelda said behind him. He sighed.

'So what are we going to do until they wake up?'

'Well, I don't know about you, but I'm having a wash,' Zelda said with a grin. 'I'll be over by the waterfall. And no looking!' Link turned away so she wouldn't see him blushing. He still remembered the first morning with her, when Tam had tricked him into nearly seeing Zelda naked.

 _Tam…_ he thought longingly, and tried to push the thought out of his mind. _I avenged her_ , he reminded himself. After staring out at the sky for a few moments more, he decided to explore the rest of Skyloft. He started down the path towards the houses, and soon saw the waterfall ahead, where Zelda was. Hurriedly he turned off the path and across a bridge, towards a small area with several stones sticking out of the ground. _The graveyard_ , he reminded himself. Zelda had explained the Skyloftian death customs to him the night before.

The most important people in Skyloft were buried, and the graves marked with stones bearing their names. But most of the bodies were carried off by their Loftwings, far away into the sky, and neither bird nor rider was ever seen again. Link looked at the graves, thinking about how similar the custom was to the Fallhollow one, of planting a tree over the body, or the Zora one, of sending the body out into the water.

'Part of the forest, part of the sea, part of the sky,' he murmured. He caught sight of something behind the graves: a small shed. It was sealed by a wooden door, but Link managed to wrench it open. Inside, the shed was empty save for a ladder leading downwards. Link climbed down it, and dropped onto a wooden platform attached to the side of the floating island. He carefully picked his way along the wooden planks that made up the path, until he saw a house at the far end.

Inside was a dark, windowless room, with only a few unlit candles. There were cobwebs in all the corners, and a chandelier above that appeared to be made of skulls. Link shuddered. On the walls were paintings of a figure with grey skin and curved horns protruding from its head. Link looked at the inscription under one of them. The symbols were Old Hylian, but Link had been teaching himself the language from Zelda's book, and knew enough at least to understand the alphabet.

'B-a-t-r-e-a-u-x,' he said to himself. 'Batreaux.' He wondered if that was the name of the demon in the painting. On the back wall of the house was a huge pair of crossed scythes, but between them was another picture; this one was hand-drawn, and not very well. It looked as though it had been done by a small child.

It showed a grey figure with orange lines coming out of its head, presumably the demon from the painting. The figure was holding hands with another, much smaller, figure, with brown hair sticking straight out of its head. The figures were labelled: the demon was again called 'Batreaux', and the smaller one 'Kukiel'. Link smiled at the child's drawing. He assumed it had been made for Batreaux by Kukiel. Apparently the demonic appearance of Batreaux was deceptive. He looked at the picture a few moments longer, then left the house.

-o-

As he left the graveyard he suddenly heard a voice, and stopped. The wind swept through his hair, carrying the sound of someone singing, but then it faded. Curious, Link hurried back towards the lake, but saw no sign of Zelda. Then the wind returned from behind him, bringing the song again. He turned, and saw a figure standing in the plaza. He went over to it, and saw Zelda standing there, her back to him, holding her harp and singing. Link tried to listen to the words, but they were in Old Hylian and he couldn't understand. So instead he stood there silently, letting the beautiful sounds of the harp and her voice wash over him. Suddenly the singing stopped, and Zelda turned round, blushing.

'Oh! Link! I didn't… how long have you been standing there?'

'I just got here,' he lied, not wanting Zelda to feel embarrassed. He rubbed the back of his head nervously, wondering how to make the situation less awkward. 'What were you singing?' Zelda blushed deeper.

'It's just a song… it's called the Ballad of the Goddess. My mother used to sing it to me when I was a child. My ancestor mentioned it in her diary, she sang it too, so it must be really old. I just… I don't know, I just wanted to sing it, knowing that she did too.' Link smiled.

'It's beautiful.' Zelda smiled back, and for a moment they looked at each other. Then Zelda cleared her throat and looked away.

'Um… the Loftwings are awake now. I saw some flying earlier. We should go, if you're ready?' Link nodded, and together they ran off the platform and whistled. Soon their birds caught them, and they were flying out into the sky. Zelda steered her bird towards the hole in the cloud cover they had used the day before, and Link followed. They skimmed low over the clouds, and when they were over the hole, they leapt from the Loftwings.

Zelda immediately pulled out her Sailcloth, and Link grabbed on to the other side. As they drifted lazily down towards the massive shape of the Statue of the Goddess, Link looked around at Faron Woods from above. Towards the east Lake Floria was a blue glimmer in the distance. Zelda followed his gaze, and shouted over the wind.

'We need to get to Faron as soon as possible.' Link nodded. When they were close to the ground he let go, and looked around the Sealed Grounds once more. It looked peaceful and undisturbed, but Link was worried. When Zelda joined him, they returned to the path into the forest, where their horses were loyally waiting for them. They mounted up, then set off in the direction of the lake.

'Where do you think Demise has gone?' Link asked, looking around them.

'Well, I don't think he's behind that tree,' Zelda said dryly as Link glared. 'He's probably a long way away. Now he's out of the sword he'll regain his strength more quickly, but he's still weak. He's not going to try to attack until he's back at full power. So we have a bit of time – not long, but hopefully enough to find the Triforce.' Link sighed. Somehow, he doubted Demise was going to sit quietly while they tried to defeat him. His Mark of Farore tingled as he prepared for their next fight.

-o-

A/N: I really wanted to get Skyloft into this story somewhere. And now we've got Demise and the Triforce in here as well! Hope you guys are excited for the Triforce quest!


	17. Chapter 17: The Goddesses' Trials

A/N: Admin note first of all: today's chapter is going to be a short one. Sorry, life has been hectic and the writing hasn't gone as swiftly as I would have liked. But tomorrow's chapter will be longer.

Also thank you to 'the guest who reviewed before'. Thanks for doing it again. Your words are music to my ears and joy to my heart.

Right, on with the show!

-o-

Soon they reached the banks of Lake Floria, and left Epona and Rhiannon cropping the grass. Out of the corner of his eye Link saw the tree they had planted for Tam, but he tried his best to ignore it. As they reached the water, Faron rose out of it serenely, as if she had been waiting for them.

'Ah, the Hylians. I wondered when you would return.'

'Faron, we need your help. You were around when our ancestors defeated Demise, weren't you?' Zelda asked hopefully. Link was hopeful too: if Faron didn't know where the Triforce was, they had no way to find it. The Water Dragon sighed deeply.

'I was there. And I believe I know what you will ask next.' Link asked anyway.

'You know Zelda's ancestor sealed away the Triforce. Do you know where it is? We need it to defeat Demise.' Faron rose higher, above the water, and curled her long tail under her.

'I… do not know.'

'What?' Link asked aghast. 'You have to know! If you don't, we can't find it! And if we can't find it, we can't defeat Demise.'

'Wait, young one,' Faron said. 'I do not know where the Triforce is, but I may still be able to help you. When the Goddess sealed the Triforce away, she created three trials with the help of the three Golden Goddesses: one trial for each piece of the Triforce. Each of us dragons guard one trial.'

'And what are these trials?' Zelda asked.

'They are designed to test anyone who wishes to possess the Triforce. If you pass the trial, you may claim that one piece.'

'So if we pass all three trials, we can get the complete Triforce?' Link asked.

'Not exactly,' Faron replied, and Link's heart sank yet again. 'If you pass the trial, you will find the location of the Triforce. If you then go there, and surpass whatever obstacles the Goddesses lay in your way, _then_ you may claim the Triforce.' Link sighed.

'Isn't that a bit complicated?' Faron shrugged.

'Do not forget, young hero, this is the golden treasure created by the gods themselves. It would not do to let just anyone claim it. Oh, and one last thing.' Link rolled his eyes.

 _Sure, make it harder for us_ , he thought.

'You must be careful.' Link straightened, alert, at Faron's sudden warning.

'Careful of what?'

'The Triforce is the only thing that can defeat Demise. You know this, and he will surely also know it. So he will be seeking the pieces, just as you do.' Link's blood froze. He hadn't considered that. 'He will try to stop you from gaining enough power to defeat him, and at the same time he will want that power for himself, so that he can defeat you.'

'So we need to get to the Triforce before he does?' Zelda asked.

'Yes. But beware. Whoever finds the Triforce pieces first will be able to claim them, but even then they are not fixed. The golden power shifts from bearer to bearer, always seeking the strongest host.'

'And… what makes someone strong?' Link asked.

'The ability to defeat another bearer. I will put it simply: if Demise does somehow claim a piece of the Triforce, and you manage to defeat him, the piece he held will be given to you. But if you two claim the Triforce, and he defeats either of you two, he will gain your piece. With the power of all three pieces, you should be able to defeat him. But if he has one part, your task will be much harder. If he has two parts, and you have just one, your task will be all but impossible. Link sighed.

'So we really need to make sure we get there first, and that we defeat Demise before he defeats us?' he asked.

'That is correct. I suggest you start by seeking the pieces you were meant to hold, the Triforce of Courage and the Triforce of Wisdom.' Link nodded, then turned to Zelda.

'So… I guess this means we have to split up again?'

'Yes. I have to go back to the desert and find Lanayru – he's the dragon associated with wisdom. And you have to stay here with Faron.' Link sighed again, then turned back to the dragon.

'So where do we start?' Faron looked down at him, then flew high up into the air, above the clouds and out of sight. A bolt of green light shot out of the clouds and hit Lake Floria, which at once went perfectly still. The surface was completely flat, reflecting the sky above. Faron spoke, and her voice sounded as though it was coming from the lake, although there was no sign of the dragon herself.

'Enter the lake. The trial awaits you within. Good luck, young hero.' Link took a deep breath, and stepped forward.

'Link!' Zelda said, stopping him. 'I just wanted to say…' She looked as though she was fighting with herself. '...Good luck. And don't get killed. I'll see you soon, okay?' She ran forward and hugged him. Link smiled, but suddenly thought of something.

'Zelda, when we had our argument and I went to find the Master Sword, why did you come back?' Zelda was speechless for a moment.

'Because I had to tell you about Demise, of course. Why else would I do it?' she asked jokingly, trying to smile. But Link didn't smile back.

'Fine. I just wanted to know.' Without looking back at Zelda, he turned around and stepped into the lake.

-o-

Zelda sighed as she watched Link vanish beneath the surface of the lake. Once he was gone, the lake returned to its normal state, but the clear water revealed no sign of her friend. Zelda watched it for a moment, then returned to Rhiannon. She wondered if she should have told Link the real reason she returned. It had been partly to tell him about Demise, but there was another reason as well. She shook herself mentally.

'He doesn't need to know,' she said to herself. 'It would just distract him. We need to focus right now.' But she couldn't help but think of Link's face when she told him. He had turned away quickly, but she had seen the disappointment in his eyes.

Zelda hesitated for a moment, looking back, then spurred Rhiannon into a gallop. Epona followed a short way, but then returned to Lake Floria to wait for her master. Zelda sighed. Though she knew she had to find Lanayru, and the Triforce of Wisdom, part of her wished she could wait for Link too.

-o-

Link walked deeper into the lake, squinting as he looked around him. The normally clear water of the lake had been replaced with a kind of mist, making it impossible to see. Link wasn't entirely sure he was underwater, either. His Zora Scale, which glowed in water, was lying motionless around his neck, and it felt like he was breathing air.

Suddenly his surroundings cleared and he felt himself falling. He looked around frantically, catching sight of clouds around him, and instinctively put his fingers to his mouth and whistled. To his immense relief he heard the familiar caw, and his crimson Loftwing caught him. He sat up, and looked around. He was surrounded by thick clouds on all sides, but they were not like the smooth white ones around Skyloft. These ones were dark grey, and Link saw lightning crackling between them.

It reminded him of something, and he thought back to stories he had been told of the Hero's adventures. In the Sky, the Hero sometimes had to enter… _the Thunderhead,_ Link thought. _I'm in the Thunderhead. But it doesn't exist anymore! What's going on?_ His question was answered for him as Faron's voice spoke from the empty air.

'Greetings, young hero. You have entered Farore's Trial. Each of the three trials mirrors one of the many which faced the Hero of the Skies, when he searched for the Triforce. This one will test your courage. I wish you luck.' With that, her voice went silent, leaving Link bewildered.

'What am I supposed to do?' he asked the empty air. When he got no response, he sighed, and directed his Loftwing around the inside of the Thunderhead. _So, this is a trial that faced the Hero_ , he thought. _What did the Hero have to do in the Thunderhead?_ His thoughts were interrupted by a hissing sound from behind, and he instinctively ducked. A snake-like creature flew over his head, hissing and clashing its jaws together.

Soon more appeared, and Link was surrounded. He recognised them from the old stories. _Sky Tails,_ he thought. _Maybe I have to defeat them?_ He steered his Loftwing towards the nearest one, wondering how to kill it. He couldn't get close enough to use his sword without also being close enough to get injured. As another Sky Tail attacked him from behind, Link's bird dodged, causing Link to press his heels into the bird's back to stay on. This triggered the Loftwing to cry loudly, then shoot forward in a spiralling attack which hit the nearest Sky Tail, killing it instantly.

As it exploded into smoke and Link recovered, another Sky Tail flew into his view. He looked down at his Loftwing, who cawed loudly. _Right_ , he thought. He dug his heels in again, and the bird's attack hit the next monster. He repeated this, until the sky around them was free of the monsters. Link sighed in relief, but the surroundings remained unchanged. It looked as though he hadn't passed the trial yet.

-o-

Suddenly he heard a shattering roar from below him, and looking down saw the clouds roiling below him. They fountained up, and out of them rose a gigantic shape. It resembled a bearded whale, but far larger. Its eyes glowed red as it waved its fins lazily, as if swimming through the sky. Link cautiously urged his Loftwing lower, getting closer to the strange behemoth, and suddenly something burst out of a hole on the giant's body.

The Loftwing swerved to avoid it, and Link saw it was an enormous eyeball on a stalk, emerging from somewhere inside the whale's body. The eye was several times bigger than Link and his Loftwing combined. As he watched, three other eyes sprouted from the flying whale, all watching Link. As he circled around it, trying to find a weak spot, he heard Faron's voice again.

'So. You have located the trial.'

'You couldn't have warned me that this "trial" was fighting a massive flying eyeball-whale a hundred times my size?' Link muttered to himself, but apparently Faron had heard him, as she replied,

'No. I cannot advise you in the trial in any way. However, I can tell you that your enemy is not the great beast. His name is Levias, the Sky Spirit.'

'That's nice!' Link said as he dodged a gargantuan fin.

'Levias is possessed by another creature, a parasite, called Bilocyte,' Faron continued calmly. 'Those eyes belong to the parasite. Destroy Bilocyte, and you will pass the trial.'

'And how do I do that?' Link asked.

'As I said, I cannot assist you,' Faron replied gravely. Link sighed in annoyance, but the Water Dragon was gone.

'So I need to destroy those eyes, right?' Link said to himself. He flew close to the nearest one, and tried to aim while the eye wove around. When it stayed still for a moment Link dug his heels into his Loftwing, and held on tightly while the bird charged into the eye, destroying it. The stalk withered away into Levias' body, and Link lined up the next one. He repeated his attack, and soon the second and third eyes were gone.

The final eye proved tricky, however. It moved constantly, and Link missed several times. He could feel his Loftwing tiring, and knew he would only get one more shot. He thought for a moment, then pulled out his bow and released an arrow straight at the eyeball. It didn't injure the eye, but the impact was enough to confuse it for a moment, and the eye was still. Seizing his chance, Link dug his heels in one last time and hung on grimly as the world spun around him. The final eye burst and withered, but as Link patted his Loftwing in thanks, he heard a roar from the direction of Levias' head.

He flew up, and saw that the Sky Spirit's skull made a natural platform, with a blowhole at one end. Link jumped off his Loftwing onto the platform, and drew his sword. Suddenly the roar echoed around the sky once more, and a red shape burst out of Levias' blowhole. It resembled the other eyes on stalks, but this one was bigger, with large yellow fins on either side of the head, and a gaping mouth filled with sharp teeth. _Bilocyte_ , Link thought.

It reared up and roared again, then spat out a lump of green gunk straight at Link. He managed to deflect it with his sword, slashing it sideways towards one of the fins. Bilocyte screamed in pain as it hit, and the fins on that side drooped. It spat out another lump, and this time Link deflected it to the other side, collapsing the other set of fins. The parasite roared and launched yet another lump. Link bounced it straight back at the central eye, causing the head to collapse onto the platform. Link leapt forward and plunged his sword into the eye, which reared up again, waving its tattered fins.

It attacked again, and Link repeated his counter-attack, until both fins were destroyed. But this time, instead of launching a lump at Link, Bilocyte lunged forward, snapping its jaws. Link rolled out of the way just in time, and thought quickly. He suddenly remembered the strange power of the Master Sword he had discovered in the Sealed Temple.

Raising his sword skyward he ran to one side as Bilocyte attacked again, and he felt his blade fill with energy. He launched the beam of light at the eye, and the head dropped screaming to the platform. Link ran over, charging up a strike as he did so, and plunged his sword into the eye once again. The light spread out through the head, which then exploded into dark smoke. Link sheathed his sword in satisfaction, and watched as the black clouds around him turned white, and the lightning faded.

Suddenly the platform lurched as Levias dived, down beneath the clouds. The white barrier came rushing up to meet Link as he held on tightly to the Sky Spirit, and when it reached him everything went black.

-o-

Link opened his eyes, and saw darkness. He looked around, but the only thing in this void was him. Suddenly a small ball of green light appeared in front of him, and he watched it curiously. It expanded rapidly, forming a flat sheet in front of Link. The green light then faded, and Link looked through the opening in the darkness at a wall, with a golden mark of three triangles on it. Link gasped, recognising the symbol of the Triforce, but as he reached out to touch the image it faded, to be replaced by one of a rock wall with an arched opening at the base, surrounded by what looked like desert sand.

Link frowned, trying to make out any details, but then the green light from before grew brighter, enveloping and blinding him. When it faded he found himself standing on the shore of Lake Hylia once more. Time had passed while he was in the trial, and the sun was low in the sky, but Link could make out Faron hovering in the air in front of him.

'Well done, young hero. I trust you were successful?'

'I… think so,' Link replied, trying to make sense of his vision. 'I defeated Bilocyte, like you said, and then I saw the Triforce symbol. It was in a temple, somewhere in the desert.'

'Ah,' Faron said. 'The desert, where your friend has gone?' Link looked up; he hadn't thought about Zelda.

'Yes! I need to go there, and find that temple so I can find the Triforce of Courage.' Faron nodded thoughtfully.

'I wish you the very best of luck, young Hero.' Link thanked her, then ran off to where Epona was loyally waiting for her master.

'Hey, girl,' he told her. 'Fancy another trip to the desert?' Epona tossed her head, and Link thought she probably wasn't looking forward to the intense heat and shifting sands. Neither was he. But the thought of finding Zelda there spurred him on, and he galloped off through the forest.

-o-

The sun was nearing the horizon by the time Zelda reached the edge of the desert. She entered at the point she thought was nearest to Zora's Domain, as she had been forced to leave Rhiannon behind and did not want to walk through the harsh desert any further than necessary. Soon she found a river, which she followed upstream, and as the sun was setting she saw the mountains surrounding the Domain rise up in the distance. Her shoulders sagged; she knew distances were deceptive in the desert, and she still had a long way to go.

She considered her options for a moment, then closed her eyes and concentrated. The green light of Farore's Wind surrounded her, teleporting her to Zora's Waterfall. Zelda took a moment to regain her bearings, and she looked around at the lush valley. She had seen it briefly before, when Lanayru restored it, but from her vantage point at the head of the valley she could see all the way down the river to the Desert Sea.

Halfway down the river was a waterfall, behind which Zelda knew was the Zoras' throne room. She thought about going there, to see Latiro, but decided against it. She wanted to pass the trial as quickly as possible, and to do that she had to find Lanayru. She walked over to the pool which cascaded over into the waterfall, wondering where the dragon was. Suddenly a golden shape flew down from above, and the Thunder Dragon landed in front of Zelda.

'Hello there,' he said jovially. 'What are you doing here?' Zelda explained the situation to him.

'…So I need to pass your trial so I can find the Triforce of Wisdom,' she finished. Lanayru nodded slowly.

'Yes, yes, I see. Alright then. Best of luck.' With that he flew off back into the sky, and a bolt of blue light hit the pool. Like Lake Floria, it immediately became mirror-like. Zelda waited for a moment, wondering if Lanayru would offer any more guidance, but when nothing happened she took a deep breath and stepped into the pool.

-o-

When the mist faded Zelda found herself surrounded by wooden walls on all sides. Somewhere to her right she could hear water crashing against the walls. _So, I'm on a ship_ , she thought. _Now what?_ She turned in surprise as she heard Lanayru's voice, but he was nowhere to be seen.

'Zelda, can you hear me? Good. You're in Nayru's Trial, which is going to test your wisdom.'

'Alright,' Zelda replied. 'Shouldn't be too hard. What do I do?'

'Well-' Lanayru began, but he was cut off by a crashing noise. Zelda gasped as four massive tentacles broke through the side of the ship, waving angrily across the deck.

'I would start by avoiding those,' Lanayru said, but Zelda was already running. She leapt over the tips of the tentacles, ducking under the higher ones. The ship began to tilt, suffering under the unseen monster's assault, and as Zelda raced up a staircase the floor below her filled with water. She turned up a corridor and was nearly flattened by a barrel rolling towards her. She ran up the passage, dodging the barrels and boxes sliding down the ship, and turned a corner.

Ahead of her was a larger passage, thankfully flat, with two ornate doors at the end. Zelda hoped they led outside. But as she started towards them, more tentacles crashed through. She sped up, managing to keep ahead of them, but suddenly one came through the wall directly to her left, knocking her down. She leapt to her feet, but another tentacle had already blocked her way ahead. She turned round, but more tentacles blocked her retreat. Drawing her sword, she slashed at the offending tentacle, but her blade bounced off the rubbery skin of the monster.

'Brilliant,' she muttered. She looked around frantically, trying to find another way, but as she did so another tentacle emerged behind her. The tip waved around, as if searching for something. Zelda panicked, but forced herself to think. _It's a wisdom trial_ , she thought. _So I'm going to have to be smart about this._ The tentacle seemed to find what it was looking for, and stopped in front of Zelda, coiling back and preparing to strike.

Zelda narrowed her eyes, and at the last moment she dodged to the side. The tentacle kept going, smashing into the one which blocked her path. Something above her screeched, and both tentacles withdrew. Zelda seized her chance and raced the final few feet to the end of the corridor, pulled open the doors, and ran out onto the deck outside.

-o-

She looked around cautiously. The ship was in ruins, with only a small section of it intact. The sky above crackled with lightning, and huge waves crashed on all sides of the ship. Suddenly Zelda heard the screech again, and a huge figure rose out of the dark sea in front of her. It had two tentacles for arms, and its head was covered in more of the thick tentacles. Zelda thought about drawing her sword, but knew it would have no effect on the tentacles.

The monster roared, and the tentacles flew out of its face, revealing one large yellow eye. As Zelda watched the eye closed and the monster dived back down beneath the water. Nothing happened for a moment, then the deck beneath Zelda's feet began to splinter from some great pressure from below. She leapt to the side, and where she had been standing a tentacle burst through the deck. She had no time to rest however, as another tentacle hit the deck beneath her. As she ran across the deck, dodging the tentacles, Lanayru's voice came out of the empty air again.

'The beast attacking the ship is called Tentalus.'

'I don't really care what it's called!' Zelda yelled back, rolling to the side to avoid yet another tentacle. Lanayru continued as if he hadn't heard her.

'It's an ancient sea monster. The tentacles can only be destroyed with sacred power, which you don't have, but its weak spot is its eye.' Zelda nodded, still dodging. Suddenly the tentacles retreated, and Tentalus rose out of the water once again. It roared, staring down at Zelda with its one giant eye. Thinking quickly Zelda pulled out her bow and aimed at the eye, but before her arrow could reach it the eyelid closed over it again, and the weapon bounced harmlessly off.

Zelda looked at it, confused, but while she was motionless a tentacle rose up from behind and grabbed her, lifting her high into the air towards the monster's face. As it did so the eye opened once again, to examine its prey. Zelda seized the opportunity and raised her bow once more. From such short range she could hardly miss, and the monster screeched in pain as the arrow hit. It dropped Zelda, causing her to land hard on the deck, and she ran to the side as Tentalus collapsed, its eye wide open and staring. She ran back over and slashed at it with her sword.

As Lanayru had said, the eye was its weak spot, and soon Tentalus recovered and roared again. It closed its eye and raised its tentacles, smashing them down on the deck. Zelda dodged them as best she could, waiting for an opportunity to shoot the eye. Soon however she realised she wasn't going to get one, and took a deep breath. She ran towards the nearest tentacle and slashed at it. It had no effect, but Zelda didn't need it to. The tentacle reacted to the attack and grabbed Zelda, raising her towards the now open eye. She shot it again, and slashed at it when the sea monster fell to the deck. With one final roar the monster disappeared beneath the water, and Zelda sighed in relief.

However, her relief was short-lived as she immediately heard a crash from behind her, and saw more boxes and barrels rolling down from a higher part of the deck towards her. The deck tilted up as Tentalus emerged again, from the other end of the ship. Zelda waited for a box to fall into position, then used it to climb up onto the higher deck. Tentalus roared and closed its eye, then the tentacles around its head came rushing at her.

Unlike the others, these tentacles had mouths with sharp teeth, snapping open and shut as they attacked her. Zelda slashed at them with her sword, but there were too many, and one she missed hit her in the chest, knocking her back onto the deck below. She sighed in frustration and climbed back up, watching anxiously as Tentalus prepared for another assault. She thought frantically, but she had no weapon quick enough to take out all the tentacles.

'Come on, Zelda! You're smarter than this thing!' she told herself. Suddenly inspiration struck. She closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to ignore the approaching tentacles. She had never used this particular spell before, but she had to hope it would work first time. The first tentacles were about to reach her when a dome of fire erupted from her body, destroying anything that made contact with it. The hail of tentacles was instantly incinerated.

Zelda struggled to maintain the powerful magic, but as the tentacles stopped coming she relaxed, and let Din's Fire fade around her. Tentalus screamed in pain and anger, but opened its eye. Zelda smiled as she saw the opportunity she needed, and shot the eye. When Tentalus fell onto the deck she ran over and slashed furiously at the eye. Suddenly the sea monster rose up, roared one last time, then fell back into the water. A huge tidal wave washed over the deck, and Zelda braced herself as it hit, darkness enveloping her.

-o-

She opened her eyes to find she was still surrounded by darkness, but with a small blue light in front of her. It expanded into an image of the Triforce symbol, which was then replaced by an image of a large temple, made entirely of ice, built in the shape of the symbol of Nayru: three circles in a triangle. The temple was surrounded by snow-topped mountains, and the white blanket extended as far as Zelda could see. She frowned, but she didn't recognise anything of the landscape. Suddenly the blue light glowed brighter, and when it faded Zelda saw she was standing at Zora's Waterfall once again. Lanayru stood in front of her.

'How was it?' Zelda sighed.

'I'm not sure. I passed the trial, and I had a vision of the Triforce somewhere covered in snow and ice, but I don't know anywhere like that.' Lanayru looked thoughtful.

'This place… were there mountains?' Zelda nodded. 'Yes, I have heard of a place, in the easternmost part of the Eldin Mountains, where the volcanos are replaced by snow,' Lanayru answered. 'Maybe you should go there?' Zelda thanked him, then used Farore's Wind to teleport herself back to the edge of the desert, where Rhiannon was waiting. As she galloped off towards the mountains she failed to see the other rider racing towards the desert.

-o-

A/N: Hoped you liked it! I didn't really want to have the silent realm as a trial, so I thought I'd make up my own ones!

As I said, tomorrow's chapter will be much longer and feature another familiar face - or should I say group of faces?


	18. Chapter 18: Queen of the Desert

A/N: Over 1000 views! Wow, thanks everyone! That makes me feel like maybe I'm not so bad a writing after all.

This chapter was one of my favourite to write, so hopefully you like it too!

-o-

Link was equally oblivious to Zelda's whereabouts, but soon he reached the point where the lush grass of Hyrule Field gave way to the sand of Lanayru Desert. Leaving Epona behind he set off in the direction of Zora's Domain. The twilight gave him just enough light to avoid falling into the river, and following it he soon approached an opening in the ring of mountains. He walked along the edge of the Desert Sea, thinking as he did so about Queen Lula, resting somewhere deep below the surface. The valley had healed from its ordeal, but Link knew some people in the valley would bear their scars for the rest of their lives.

As he reached the mouth of Zora's River, he looked up the gorge to the waterfall which hid the entrance to the throne room. He paused, then walked past it, continuing up to Zora's Waterfall. But after a few more steps he stopped. He had no idea where the temple he was searching for was, and he was not inclined to search the desert until he found it. There was a good chance the Zoras knew where it was, if only he asked.

He sighed, then edged round behind the waterfall into the throne room. It was deserted, but the blue pool in the centre glowed with the light from the crystals lining it. Link stepped closer, looking down into it, and saw a blue shape rising up to meet him. It burst out of the pool and the Zora landed on his feet.

'Link! What are you doing here?' Latiro asked. Link opened his mouth, but no words came out. Lati understood his hesitation and sighed. 'I know what you want to say. You're sorry for my mother's death, right?' Link nodded. 'I accept your apology,' Lati said graciously. 'I do still miss my mother, of course I do. And of course I wish she hadn't died and I didn't have to be king. But… this is what the Goddesses have decreed. They said she had to die when she did, and I have to find a way to be okay with that. That starts with forgiving you.'

Link smiled, and hugged the boy. He was startled by how much the new king had grown in maturity since they had last met. Lati smiled back, then looked out through the waterfall. Suddenly the rising moon outside shone through the rushing water, and its beam hit the pool of water, making it glow brighter.

'Come with me,' Latiro said, taking Link by the hand. He jumped into the pool, leaving the Hylian dumbfounded. Lati resurfaced and looked at him in annoyance. 'Come on! There's something I want you to see.' With that he dived back down, and Link followed. The pool glowed brighter than ever in the moonlight, and Link was almost blinded by the light. Lati swam straight down to the bottom of the pool, and Link struggled to keep up with the young Zora.

However, they kept going, and soon Link realised the pool was actually one end of submerged tunnel, going along beneath the throne room and the valley itself. The moonlight and the luminous crystals lit the way clearly, although Link had no idea how far down they were. He tried to ask Latiro, but underwater he couldn't speak. Soon the tunnel began to slope steeply up, and after a while Link's head broke the surface.

'This way!' Lati said ahead of him. Grumbling to himself, Link wondered what was so important. But he knew he owed the young king this, and a lot more. They were still inside a tunnel, with dark rock on all sides, but soon the water ended and Link pulled himself up onto dry land. Immediately Lati grabbed his hand and pulled him along the remainder of the tunnel, until they emerged in a massive cave. Link gasped. The cavern was full of stars.

-o-

Link stood there in open-mouthed wonder. A million points of blue-green light floated in the pool of water ahead of them, and they spread up the walls and ceiling as well. Link turned round, marvelling at the beauty of the scene, as Latiro spoke.

'This place is called the Pool of Stars. You can guess why.' Link nodded.

'What… is it?'

'Some say each star represents the soul of a Zora. Some say the pool is the source of all the water in the desert. Some say this place is where our ancestors first entered the desert. All anyone really knows is that this place is very special to our people. Only the Royal Family are allowed in here.' Link frowned.

'Then… what am I doing here?' Lati shrugged.

'I used to come here with my mother. The stars here only shine when there's a full moon, so every month we would come down here together. But tonight is the first full moon since she died. I just… didn't want to come down here alone.' Link placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

'Lati, I'm so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen. But Casineb, the demon who helped Branford to take away the water, the one who killed your mother, it's dead now. I killed it.' Lati looked up at Link and nodded.

'Thank you,' he said simply. They stayed there for several minutes, Link admiring the myriad points of light.

'How does this work?' he said after a while.

'You mean you don't believe these lights are Zora souls?' Lati asked. Link shook his head.

'Not really.' Lati smiled at him.

'Good. When I first came down here, I was just as amazed by all of this as you are. But my mother explained to me the two great secrets of this cave. She said that as long as you remember those two secrets, you know all you need to know about life. Look at this,' he said, going over to the wall and pointing at one of the specks of light. Link looked closely, and saw that the light was in fact carried by a small insect.

'These are Star Beetles. Once a month, they come to this cave and glow like this, probably to attract a mate. It just happens to coincide with the full moon.' Link looked down at the water, and saw more of the tiny creatures, each one bearing its own star. He looked around the cavern as Lati spoke. 'That was the first secret my mother told me. Everything, no matter how fantastic or mystical it first appears, has an explanation somewhere.' Link shook his head.

'It's still beautiful, though. Even though I know this is just a load of bugs, it's still amazing.' Latiro laughed.

'Yes, that's the second, and most important secret. Magic doesn't stop being magic just because you know how it's done. Even if you can find an explanation for the fantastic and mystical, it will still be fantastic and mystical. I've come down here with my mother every full moon for years. I've always known why these stars shine. And every month, I'm still amazed by them.' Link smiled down at the boy.

'I bet you're a really great king, Lati,' he said. The Zora smiled back.

'I hope so. I've never forgotten my mother's advice, and I try my best for my people. I suppose that's all anyone could ask for.'

-o-

They stood there in silence for a long time, but eventually the stars began to wink out, one by one.

'Oh. It must be nearly dawn,' Latiro said, breaking their silence. 'The Star Beetles stop glowing when the sun comes up.' Link nodded, but then he remembered something.

'Lati, much though I enjoy seeing you, that's not actually the reason why I came to the desert. I need to find the Triforce of Courage, and I have good reason to believe it's in a temple somewhere in the desert. Do you know anything about that?' The Zora thought for a moment.

'I've never left Zora's Domain in my life, and I know for certain the only temple here is the Desert Sea Temple, which was destroyed.' Link sighed: another dead end. But then Lati brightened. 'But there are other Zoras who explore the desert outside of the domain. I heard that a long time ago they found some other civilisation out there, way out in the depths of the desert. Maybe that temple you need is there!' Link had to laugh as Latiro regained the old cheerfulness that was so characteristic of the boy.

'Okay. I'll talk to those Zoras.' As the last of the Star Beetles faded, they swam along the tunnel back to Zora's Domain.

-o-

Activity was starting to return to the throne room by the time they surfaced, and Lati was quickly hustled off by some official-looking Zoras. Link waited awkwardly, but soon another Zora approached him. This one was an adult, and far more rugged than the other Zoras. Link supposed that was an understandable effect of the harsh desert on an aquatic creature.

'His Majesty said you wanted to know about the people at the end of the desert?' the Zora asked, and Link nodded. 'I am Abalos, one of the Zoras who explore the desert outside our Domain. On one trip, we went farther than we had ever gone before, deep into the desert. There we found a race which resembled you Hylians, but made entirely of women. They call themselves the Gerudo.

They are a fierce warrior tribe, and we would be no match for them, but we struck a truce: they leave us alone, and we promise never to trespass on their territory again. You must understand: by leading you to them, I will be breaking this truce. His Majesty assures me that you have a very good reason for doing that, but I warn you. When you meet the Gerudo, they will try to kill you. There is a good chance they will succeed. I do not know why you are doing this, but I must ask you: this mission of yours, is it worth risking your own life and the peace of our tribe?' Link hesitated, but nodded. If he didn't find the Triforce, Demise would likely get to the Zoras before the Gerudo did. Abalos bowed his head in acceptance.

'Very well. Follow me.'

-o-

Link's guide led him out of the throne room, and up towards the head of the valley. Here they followed a small stream which broke off from the pool at the top of Zora's Waterfall and flowed down, out of the ring of mountains. Link looked to the east: the sun would rise soon, and the sky was already growing paler.

'So what else do you know about these Gerudo?' he asked Abalos. He shook his head.

'Almost nothing. We only met them once, the first time we discovered their existence. There is no mention of them in any of the old texts, none of the elders remember them. I would say they have hidden themselves from the rest of the world very successfully for many years. That is why they were so angry to be discovered.' Link thought about this, and wondered how they would react to seeing him, an outsider.

'Will they be angry you told me about them?' he asked. Abalos laughed.

'They are always angry! Like I said, they will probably try to kill you. I would be on your guard, Hylian.' They said nothing more to each other for a long time, as the heat in the desert became intense. They followed the stream a long way to the west, but eventually it ended in a small oasis. Abalos stopped.

'This is as far as I can come. Their territory lies beyond there; if they find me, they will kill me.' Link thanked him, and prepared to set off, but Abalos stopped him. 'Wait. Take this.' He handed Link an old and ragged piece of paper, with several faint lines drawn on it. 'That is a map of the desert. I know it is vague, but mapping shifting sand dunes is nigh on impossible. We are here,' he said, gesturing to a small circle representing the oasis. 'Their fortress is there.' He pointed to a shape on the edge of the map. It had a cross drawn over it.

'Ignore the mark. It is simply there to tell Zoras that certain death awaits them there. But, maybe you will have better luck,' Abalos told him with a laugh. Link sighed, but his guide wasn't done. 'One last thing.' Abalos drew closer, and looked around, as if the bare dunes were hiding eavesdroppers. 'To gain their trust, you will have to fight them. But this is not an honest duel, like the ones you Hylians have. They will cheat in any way they can to win. So if you end up fighting one of them, you must cheat too.' Link looked at the Zora in surprise.

'Um… thanks,' he said, thinking about the strange customs of the Gerudo. _Still_ , he thought, _they've been living in the desert heat for Goddesses know how long. It's only natural they would have gone a bit crazy._ Abalos nodded, wished him luck, and headed back up the stream towards Zora's Domain. Link took a deep breath, looked at his map, and set off towards where he thought the Gerudo Fortress would be.

-o-

The sun was just past its zenith when he made it to the top of yet another towering dune, and a very welcome sight greeted him. Below him, in a natural hollow made by a ring of sand dunes, was a group of low, flat buildings. Squinting, Link could just make out figures moving between them.

 _That must be the Fortress_ , he thought. He slid carefully down the side of the dune and approached, wondering how to enter the settlement. He could try to hide and sneak in, but if they found him they would be even angrier. Or he could make his presence known, and hope they didn't kill him on sight. He sighed. Neither option was particularly appealing. But he needed their cooperation to find the temple, so he knew he would have to risk instant death and not hide. He walked closer, his heart pounding, waiting for one of the patrolling guards to notice him.

As he approached he got his first look at the Gerudo. As Abalos had said, they were all female and closely resembled Hylians, except that they all had the same tanned skin and fire-red hair. But the first thing Link noticed was that they all looked like Quin. They were practically identical to his friend, from the hair and skin to their slim yet muscular build. Link was just wondering what this meant when someone shouted from behind him.

'You there! Halt!' He instinctively reached for his sword, but stopped himself and raised his hands instead. Within moments he was confronted by three Gerudo, all pointing spears at him. 'How did you find this place?' one of them all but spat.

'I'm a friend of the Zoras. I need your help,' he replied, as calmly as he could when faced with the weapons. At the mention of the Zoras the lead Gerudo frowned, and Link wondered how much trouble Abalos would be in if they saw him again. One of the others whispered something in a strange language Link assumed was Gerudo, but the lead woman stopped her.

'Come with us,' she ordered. She led the way through the fortress, while the other two walked behind Link. They were no longer pointing their weapons at him, but he knew if he made the slightest move to escape or attack they could still kill him instantly. But they hadn't done it yet, which he took as a good sign. As they walked between the buildings Link was met with looks of amazement and shock from the other guards they passed. More than once one of them asked Link's guards something, but the lead Gerudo snapped something back in their own language. Soon they reached a building which was larger and more decorated than the rest.

'Wait here,' the lead guard said, going inside. At once the other two guards stood to either side of Link, pointing their spears at him once more. More Gerudo formed a circle around the group, preventing his escape. Link saw that they were all armed with either a spear or a sword, and looked poised to attack if he moved. He shifted uncomfortably. The noonday sun was beating down, and he was stuck in the glares of the desert tribe.

Eventually the lead guard came out of the building, and was followed by yet another Gerudo. This one looked different, however, and the change in atmosphere among the other Gerudo when this one emerged made Link think this woman was in charge of the tribe.

'So. You claim to seek our help,' she said. Link nodded, but the woman only laughed. 'We do not help men.'

'Couldn't you make an exception this time?' Link asked. He hadn't trekked all the way across the desert to be told he was the wrong sex. The Gerudo smiled slightly.

'You are in no position to make demands, Hylian. Why should we not just kill you now?' Link sighed. He was hot, and tired, and not in a mood to be threatened. He felt his Mark of Farore begin to glow slightly.

'You could try. But then I'd defend myself, and maybe you'd kill me in the end but I'm pretty sure I could get some of you first. You really want to risk your people's lives over nothing?' A ripple of whispering passed around the circle behind Link, but the lead Gerudo held up her hand and it ceased immediately.

'You want to fight? Because if that is the case we would be happy to oblige.' Link narrowed his eyes.

'I don't want a fight. I do want some answers. If I have to do one to get the other, then so be it.' The Gerudo smiled.

'As you wish. If you beat one of us in combat, we will accept you as an honorary member of our tribe, and we will help you.' She turned to the woman next to her, who produced two large curved swords and stepped towards Link. He swallowed hard, but drew his own sword. He was wondering what would signal the start of the fight when his opponent suddenly leapt at him, swords raised.

-o-

He blocked instinctively, and counterattacked with a slash, but her two swords easily blocked his own. He pulled out his shield just in time to block her next furious attack, but the force of it drove him back. The Gerudo was clearly skilled with her weapons, and very quick, but Link was stronger. It didn't matter much however as the woman grabbed his shield and tossed it across the arena, leaving Link all but defenceless. He thought quickly, and kicked her legs out from under her. She fell to the ground, her swords flying out of her hands, but Link wasn't sure he should hurt a weakened opponent. While he hesitated however the woman grabbed a handful of sand and threw it straight in Link's eyes, blinding him.

By the time his vision returned the Gerudo had snatched up her swords and was attacking Link again. He had an idea, and feinting to one side he dodged round the back of his opponent, reaching his shield and raising it just as she counterattacked. When her sword hit he pushed his shield forward, throwing the Gerudo off balance. Link remembered a trick Zelda had used when he fought her, and managed to get the tip of his sword behind the handle of one of hers, and twisted it out of her grip, sending it flying out of the arena.

The Gerudo growled in frustration, and attacked with her remaining sword. However, without its twin the weapon was unbalanced and unwieldy, and Link managed to twist the second sword out of her grip too. He stood for a moment, panting, while his unarmed opponent glared.

'Is that it?' he managed.

'Not quite,' a voice said behind him. He turned round, and just managed to raise his shield before the leader of the Gerudo attacked with twin swords of her own.

'What? But… that's cheating!' he said, but his opponent merely smiled.

'Nowhere in the rules does it say that the rules cannot be broken.' Link was trying to work this out when she lunged again, spinning her blades at him. He was pushed back, and suddenly the Gerudo used his own trick against him, managing to dislodge his shield again. This time it was hurled out of the arena, where Link knew he would not be able to get to it. With one sword against two Link realised that unless he thought of something soon, it would be a very short fight. He suddenly remembered Abalos' advice: 'They will cheat in any way they can to win. So if you end up fighting one of them, you must cheat too.'

 _Cheating_ , Link thought. _Right. I can do that._ He ran to the other side of the arena to give himself enough time for his trick. His opponent was confused by his apparent cowardice, but came towards him, swords raised. She moved slowly though, clearly expecting him to do something. Link raised his sword skyward, praying to Farore to give him enough time to charge his blade before the Gerudo reached him. When she saw the sacred light begin to fill his blade the woman's eyes widened, and she began to run. Link's heart pounded, willing the sword to charge up faster, but when his opponent had practically reached him he knew he had to act.

He dropped his sword arm and launched a spin attack. Apparently his prayers had been heard, because the sacred light burst out of his sword in a shockwave which hit the Gerudo straight across the chest. She flew backwards across the arena, towards the rest of her shocked tribe. She sat up, rubbing her head and grimacing in pain. Link didn't drop his guard though, remembering the trick from before. He narrowed his eyes as the lead Gerudo stood up, raising her swords. But to his surprise she placed them in the sheaths on her back, before bowing to him.

'Well done, Hylian. You have won a place in our tribe.'

-o-

Link looked out over the fortress as the sun set behind the dunes. After beating the second Gerudo, he had been led inside the main building, and left alone for much of the day. The leader had informed him that if he wanted answers, he would have to wait until sunset. So for the remainder of the day he had been alone, but now dusk was approaching he stood on the roof of the building and watched the Gerudo moving about below him, waiting for the leader to return. Eventually she appeared, and saw him watching her. She came inside the building and joined him on the roof, looking out across the sands. Link cleared his throat nervously.

'Um, I'm sorry about earlier. About the fight.' The Gerudo frowned.

'What do you mean? You won. That was no easy feat.'

'Yes, but I cheated!' The woman shrugged.

'So did I. In a fight to the death, the important thing is not how you win, it's whether you win.' Link had to agree with her on that. They resumed their silent watch over the desert. 'It's beautiful, isn't it,' she said eventually.

'I guess so. Personally I think it looks weird without any greenery,' Link replied, looking at the woman. He hadn't waited all day to talk about the scenery.

'You know, I would like to leave the desert one day,' the Gerudo continued dreamily. 'It's treasonous to talk about such things in front of Shalina, and the desert will always be my home, but I would like to see what other wonders Hyrule offers.' Link frowned.

'Who's Shalina?'

'Shalina is the reason you have been waiting here all day,' the Gerudo said, turning to face him. 'I don't think we've been introduced. I am Asira, second in command to Shalina, leader of the Gerudo tribe.'

'I'm Link,' he replied. 'So what does Shalina have to do with the temple I'm looking for?'

'She is the only one who knows where it is,' Asira answered. 'Our tribe spend our entire lives in the fortress, except when we leave to seek mates. But Shalina has travelled widely around the desert. If this temple you are looking for is anywhere in the desert, she will know where it is.'

'So where is she?'

'She is at the statue of the Goddess of the Sands, our patron deity.' Link frowned.

'Where's that? And anyway, what do you mean, patron deity? Don't you worship the Golden Goddesses?' Asira laughed softly.

'No. The Goddess of the Sands has always been our protector, even in the time of the Goddess Hylia.' Link was thoroughly confused, and it showed. 'Do you want me to tell you about it?' Asira asked. Link did, but first he needed to know about Shalina. The sooner he found her, the sooner he could find the Triforce.

'Yes, but first tell me where that statue is.' Asira shook her head.

'That I cannot do. It is sacred to our people. No outsiders are allowed there.'

'I thought you said I was an honorary member of your tribe!' Link retorted, making Asira smile.

'Yes, the key word there being "honorary". I'm sorry Link, but I can't tell you where it is. But don't worry. Shalina will return in the morning, and you can ask her about the temple then.' Link sighed, but knew there was no getting around the Gerudo customs.

'Alright then. So tell me about your goddess.' Asira shifted to a more comfortable position, and told him the story.

'I'm sure you have heard the Hylian legends, about how the Goddess Hylia gathered her people on an outcropping of rock and raised it into the sky, correct?' Link nodded. 'Well, we were not "her people". We have always worshipped our own goddess, and we refused to pledge allegiance to Hylia even in the face of the demon forces. We are a proud, warrior people, and we would rather fight than abandon our heritage. So when the Hylians were saved, we fought. Many of us lost our lives; once the tribe spread out over the entire desert, but after the war we were reduced to just a few people. But, we survived. We survived, and have continued to survive for millennia since then by hiding away in the desert. And we never lost our faith.' Link nodded, impressed by the fortitude of the tribe.

'So that explains one mystery. But why are there only women in your tribe? And what did you mean earlier, about leaving the desert to seek a mate?' Asira smiled knowingly.

'That is a rather longer story.' Link sighed.

'Alright. Then, tell me more about Shalina. Are you sure she'll just take me to the temple if I ask?' Asira laughed.

'No, that is very unlikely. You'll have to make her trust you first.' Link's heart sank.

'Do I have to fight her, too?'

'No. In fact, I doubt she would even consent to fighting someone like you.'

'Someone like me?'

'A man. Shalina hates all men with a fierce passion.' Link was confused again.

'Please, you have to explain some of this stuff to me. Why does she hate men?' Asira looked at him, and sighed.

'To do that story justice, I have to tell you the longer one. Do you want to hear that?' Link looked ahead, at the setting sun

'I've got time. Why not?' Asira nodded, and began.

-o-

'Our tribe has always been all-female. You see, for as long as anyone can remember, we have left the desert in order to steal a Hylian husband, who we bring back to the desert with us. Of course, it would be unfair to force these men to stay with us forever, and in any case, we soon tire of them. So we make them a deal, written into the laws of our tribe. After we have had one child, the man may leave and we will never see them again. This is no great loss; after all, it's not as though we love these men. But the sex of our one child determines which parent gets to keep it. If the child is a girl, she stays in the desert with her mother. If the child is a boy, his father is allowed to take him from the desert and raise him in Hyrule. We Gerudo naturally have more daughters than sons, so it has worked out fine for a long time.

But about eighteen years ago a young Gerudo girl, called Shalina, left the desert to seek a husband. She met a man from the forest, called Makor, and instantly fell in love with him. Fortunately, he loved her in return, and came to the desert with her willingly. They were happy for many months. But after a time, Makor began to leave the desert, and Shalina, for weeks at a time. The first time he did this she was angry, and scared that he wished to leave her. But when he returned he told her that he had only gone to see his old friends, and explain to them that he was happy in his new life with her. He told her he loved her, and she believed him, and they were happy again, even though he left her time after time, because he always came back and told her he loved her.

But one day, he returned to her after many weeks away, and she told him that she was pregnant. She expected that he would be happy, as this was after all what he had told her he always wanted, to have a family with her. But instead he left her again, almost immediately, and did not return for several months. When he finally came back, she was close to giving birth. She demanded to know why he had left her, and he told her everything.

You see, it turned out that when he left the desert he was not just seeing his old friends. He had met a woman, back in the forest, and he loved her. He told Shalina that he had married the other woman, and he was leaving Shalina to stay with his new wife in the forest forever. But there was a problem. Although they desperately wished for a family, his new wife was incapable of having children. So the only way Makor could have a family was with Shalina's baby.

Well, naturally Shalina was distraught. She begged him to stay with her, but he would not listen. He pointed out that by the customs of her tribe, he was free to leave her after their first child, and if that child was a boy Makor could take his son and have his family with his new wife. Shalina knew once her child was born she would be utterly alone, and her only hope was that her child would be a girl, so she could keep her daughter with her in the desert.

She left the fortress, her sisters and her former lover, and prayed under the statue of the Goddess of the Sands for many days. Finally, she gave birth, and the Goddess answered her prayers. She had a daughter. She showed the child to Makor, hoping it would change his mind, but he still told her he would leave her. But she took comfort knowing that at least now she would not be completely alone.

But that first night, after Makor was supposed to have left the desert, he snuck back into the fortress. He stole the child, and took her far away, back to his forest home. When she woke the next morning Shalina searched everywhere for him and her stolen daughter, but they were gone. In her grief she ran to the Goddess of the Sands and begged for her help.

The Goddess replied that she was powerless to act, as Makor was not of the desert, so she could not touch him. So instead Shalina asked the Goddess to prevent her sisters from ever feeling the same pain she had. The Goddess granted her wish, and used her magic to make sure that the Gerudo women would only have one boy every one hundred years, and when that boy was born he would be their king, so he could not be taken from the desert. That way no other woman would have her child stolen from her.

But the Goddess could do nothing for Shalina. She never saw her child again, and she still grieves for her to this day.'

-o-

Asira fell silent, and Link absorbed what he had learnt. Some buried part of his subconscious recognised the name Makor, the man from the forest, but he was sure he knew no-one with that name.

'So she knows nothing about her daughter, even if she's still alive?' he asked Asira. She shook her head.

'Nothing. She never even told anyone the girl's name, although she had one. I wonder if that bastard had the decency to keep her name.' Link felt the passion in the Gerudo's words, and realised that Asira must be very close to Shalina. 'The only thing she knows about her daughter is that she has green eyes,' the woman continued. 'All us Gerudo have golden eyes, like the sand and the sunset. But her daughter's eyes were green like the forest.' Something in Link's head clicked, and he had a sense of realisation. Annoyingly, he couldn't work out what it was he had realised.

'I'm sorry for her,' he said instead. Asira nodded.

'You should tell her that. She hates all men because of what happened – quite understandably, in my opinion.' Link nodded. He was starting to agree with the Gerudo view of men. 'She will probably refuse to help you just on principle. But you are a member of our tribe, and she has to respect that. If you are lucky, she will help you.'

'So what should I do until she returns?' Link asked.

'Eat, sleep, do whatever you want. But do not leave the fortress. The desert is dangerous at night.' Link thanked her, then went back down into the building. There was a bed against one wall, reminding Link that he hadn't slept at all the night before. He fell asleep as soon as he lay down.

-o-

Link opened his eyes, and to his shock saw he was back in the forest. He could clearly hear the rustling of the leaves on the trees, and feel the breeze against his skin. He looked around, and with a pang of grief he realised he was back in Fallhollow Village. But it was the way it had been before the fire, in the past. Link was confused, but then it came to him. He was dreaming.

But this was not like his other, prophetic dreams. It felt more like a memory. Suddenly something small and blonde ran past him, racing towards the nearest tree. Link laughed as he realised it was him, but much younger, only seven years old. His younger self looked around wildly from the base of the tree, panting heavily. A redheaded figure peeked out from behind the tree when Link looked the other way, then leapt out on him, pinning him to the ground.

'Got you!' she crowed.

'Quin, get off!' the younger Link said, trying to dislodge his friend, but to no effect. The older Link smiled, remembering how much stronger Quin always was than him. Another boy of about ten came over, and helped Link up.

'Quin, be nice to Link. You know he doesn't like it when you tackle him.'

'Why else would I do it?' the younger Quin replied. 'Anyway, you're such a spoilsport, Faru! Stop being so stuck up and play with us for a bit!'

'Yeah, we're playing tag,' the younger Link chimed in. 'I'm always the one being chased, every time.' The younger Faru sighed.

'Alright. One game.' The younger children beamed at him, but just then a man emerged from a nearby treehouse.

'Quin! Your mother wants you! Get up here, now.' Quin sighed theatrically, rolling her eyes.

'I'm coming!' she yelled back.

'Now!' was the reply. A voice floated out from inside the treehouse.

'Makor, don't shout at her. It's not that urgent.' The man went back inside the house, and there was some angry conversation. Quin huffed, but reluctantly said goodbye to her friends and joined her parents. The younger Link watched her go, saddened, but then Faru cleared his throat.

'You know… It only takes two people to play tag.' Link turned round to his friend, beaming, as Faru ran off around the village, Link following closely behind. The older Link laughed at their game, but something in the back of his mind was waving a red flag, trying frantically to get his attention.

 _Makor_ , he thought. _That's right! He was Quin's father! But then who…_ Suddenly the peaceful forest scene faded into darkness, and Link fell back into a deep sleep.

-o-

The next morning, he awoke to the sound of muffled whispering. He sat up, but the room was empty. Cautiously, he opened the door and saw Asira outside, conversing with another Gerudo woman Link had never seen before. She was older than Asira, but she carried herself with the same pride and ferocity as her sister. Like the other members of her tribe she had fire-red hair, but it was pulled up in a high ponytail that fell past her waist. She caught sight of Link, hovering in the doorway, and stopped talking. Then she snapped something angrily in Gerudo to Asira, who responded by hanging her head. Link decided to intervene.

'Hi. I'm-'

'I know who you are!' the unknown woman interrupted angrily. Link was taken aback, but Asira turned to him.

'Link, this is Shalina. I have asked her to help you, but she refuses. I am sorry.' She placed a hand on Link's shoulder for a moment, then went back inside, leaving Link alone with Shalina. The Gerudo leader turned away from Link.

'You have to leave this place. Now. The Gerudo tribe do not tolerate men!'

'I'm sorry for-' he began, but Shalina cut him off.

'I do not care for your pity. I have no quarrel with you. Leave, now, before I find one.' She started walking down the empty street, away from Link. He thought quickly, desperate not to lose his only hope of finding the Triforce. Suddenly he remembered his dream, and it clicked into place.

'Quin!' he yelled after the Gerudo. Shalina stopped.

'What did you say?' she asked quietly.

'Quin. That's your daughter's name, isn't it? The one who was stolen from you. Her name's Quin.' Shalina turned round.

'You… know my daughter? She's alive?' At once the ferocity was gone, replaced by a mother's concern. Link smiled in relief, and nodded.

'Yes, she's alive, and I know where she is. If you help me find what I'm looking for, I promise, as soon as I leave the desert the first thing I'll do is find Quin and tell her about you. But only if you help me. Deal?' Shalina smiled, and nodded.

'Deal.'

-o-

The sun rose as they left the fortress. Shalina led the way across the dunes, with Link struggling to keep up across the shifting sand.

'Tell me about my daughter,' Shalina commanded.

'She's… well, you can tell she's a Gerudo. She's fierce, and proud, and beautiful… you remind me of her a lot.' Shalina turned to him.

'Are you in love with her?' Link was taken aback.

'No! I mean, I love her as a sister, but not in the way you mean. And anyway, she's taken.'

'Oh?'

'Yes. Um… she's got a girlfriend.' Shalina was silent, and Link wondered if the news angered her. He hurried to catch up to the woman, and when he did he saw the wide smile across her face.

'Good for her. It's about time someone in my family had the sense to avoid men. I look forward to meeting this girlfriend.' Link sighed in relief. 'And what about that lying, cheating, good-for-nothing lump I called a lover?' Shalina asked, venom dripping from her words.

'Makor? He died about ten years ago. He and his wife went off into the woods one day and never came back. No-one knows for sure what happened to them, but after this long with no sign of them, we can all guess.' Shalina snorted.

'Serves him right for what he did to me.' But then her tone softened.

'Was Quin upset? She must have thought that woman was her mother, and I'm sure she loved her father.' Link shrugged. He had only vague memories of Quin's father, but he knew he hadn't been very loving to his daughter.

'They didn't get on that well. She was very sad to lose them, of course, but she's strong. She's alright with being an orphan.'

'Except she's not anymore,' Shalina said slowly. She turned to Link, and her brow was furrowed with concern. 'How do you think she'll react? When she finds out about me? Will she be angry? Or will she refuse to accept me as her mother?' Link sighed.

'I don't know for sure. She's not exactly the most predictable.' Shalina smiled.

'That runs in the blood.'

'But… I think she'll be happy. She'll definitely want to meet you.'

'And I want to meet her,' Shalina replied.

They continued across the dunes for a long time, until the sun had risen high above the horizon. Soon rocky walls rose on either side of them, blocking out their clear view of the desert. Link looked around the canyon, hoping Shalina knew the way through this maze. Eventually though they came to a flat wall with an ornate arched opening in the base of it. Some architect long-dead had built columns up the side of the wall, and in the centre of the structure was the symbol of the Triforce.

'That is known as the Temple of Courage,' Shalina told Link, gesturing to the arch. 'Is that the temple you were looking for?' Link nodded. He recognised the structure from his vision. 'I wish you the best of luck, Link,' she said gravely. He turned to her, surprised. 'After all, if you get yourself killed, I'll never get to meet my daughter!' she said, winking at him. He smiled. Shalina was definitely Quin's mother. He thanked her, and approached the Temple of Courage cautiously. Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside.

-o-

A/N: I know the Pool of Stars was kinda random, but I wanted to put it in. I love me a bit of random mysticism.

The Gerudo are awesome, by far my favourite race in the series. How many of you already guessed that Quin was part Gerudo? I'm guessing most of you, but still.


	19. Chapter 19: The Temple of Courage

A/N: Another temple! Hopefully this one is good.

Oh, and to the guest who reviewed: glad you liked it! Yeah, I felt kinda bad writing the end of Chapter 14...

-o-

The interior of the temple was entirely dark, save for two torches which burned just inside the entrance. Link pulled out his boomerang and threw it through the flames and around the room, illuminating it. He caught sight of more pairs of torches, forming a path down the centre of the room, and quickly lit those. Now he could see the whole of the room. He realised that what from outside had looked like a solid rock face must actually be hollow, with the temple inside it. The floor was covered with a fine layer of sand which had blown in from outside, and the walls bore crude paintings. Link looked at one more closely. It showed several people kneeling down in prayer before a golden triangle.

'Well, I'm in the right place,' Link muttered. At the far end of the room was another arch, leading deeper into the temple. Link drew his sword and went through it, alert for the slightest indication of danger. The next room was larger than the last, but completely empty. There were no torches here, and all the light came from a round hole in the ceiling, letting a shaft of bright sunlight into the room below. Link stood in it and looked up, shielding his eyes from the glare, but he could see nothing.

Directly in front of the pool of light was an enormous door, with two crescent moons on it, one encircling the other. Link frowned, recognising the symbol. The smaller crescent encircled a round indentation in the door, which Link examined. He held up his left hand critically, with his own mark on it, and realised that if he could find whatever was supposed to fit in the indentation, it would form the symbol of Farore, Goddess of Courage.

Link looked around the room, but could see no sign of the circle that would fit the indent. But there were four doors leading off the room, not including the large door or the one Link had entered by, and two of the four doors were locked with silver chains requiring a small key. Link looked at the other two doors speculatively, then entered the one on the back left.

-o-

The room inside was filled with sand, with a raised platform in the centre. There was no sign of any enemies. Link drew his sword and stepped out cautiously onto the sand. Nothing happened. Still worried, he walked slowly towards the platform. When he was halfway there and still the only living thing in the room he began to walk normally. He wasn't used to being left alone by monsters. He relaxed prematurely however as the sand behind him began to puff up in a trail. It reminded Link of a Leever trail, but whatever was beneath the sand was much larger than a Leever. And quicker.

Link sprinted across the sand to the safety of the platform, dragging himself onto it just as the monster burst out of the sand. It was an enormous and grotesque worm, spotted dark green, with clashing red mandibles. It gnawed angrily on the empty air for a moment, but once it realised its prey was gone it sank back into the sand, and the room was silent once more. Link wasn't fooled.

He looked around the platform. In the centre was a column with a stone carving on it, in the shape of a square. Link examined it more closely. At the bottom of the square was a gap, and close to one corner was a cross, but otherwise the column was bare. Link frowned, looking around the room. As he did so he realised it was square. On one wall was the door he had entered by, but no other landmarks.

Link looked back at the carving, mentally lining up the door with the gap in the square. He used this to work out the approximate location of the cross in the room. He looked over at the patch of sand, but there was nothing there. It was just as bare as every other patch of sand in the room. Link sighed, loudly. Immediately the sand burst up in a trail as the worm from before heard him, and came rushing towards the platform. It was a futile effort, but the turned sand it left in its wake gave Link an idea. He looked back over to where the cross would be.

'Not _on_ the sand… but _under_ it,' he muttered. But he knew he would never be able to dig through the sand without attracting the attention of the worm. Unless… Link stepped down off the platform as quietly as he could. He had worked out by now that the worm must be blind and therefore couldn't detect him unless he made a noise, so as long as he trod carefully he was reasonably safe.

When he was a few feet from where the cross would be he broke into a run, his feet thudding down hard on the sand. He didn't look back, but heard the rustle of sand behind him and knew he had the worm's attention. But it was gaining fast. He hadn't actually thought his plan through any further than this, and he wasn't sure how to get the worm to dig up the sand without catching him in the process.

When he judged they were past the cross he turned suddenly, running back the way he had come. The worm was much slower to turn, and ploughed past Link. As he ran back he saw what the worm had dug up: a small chunk of rock. He snatched it as he hurtled past, racing towards the platform. But the rustling behind him told him he wasn't going to make it. He veered again, towards the door. There was a satisfying crunch as the worm crashed headfirst into the stone platform, but Link didn't feel too bad about it. The thing was trying to eat him, after all.

He made it to the door and shot through, slamming it shut behind him and leaning against it, panting. When he had recovered he opened his hand and examined the piece of rock he had gotten. It was vaguely triangular, roughly broken on two sides, but the third was a smooth curve. Link frowned, then his eyes fell on the circular indent in the door. The shard he had found must be part of the key. But it was small, and Link needed to find the rest of it. Sighing, he headed towards the only other unlocked door.

-o-

He stepped through and nearly fell into a deep pit, managing to pull himself back from the edge just in time. Breathing a sigh of relief, he surveyed the room. He couldn't see the bottom of the pit, nor the end of the room. Both were shrouded in darkness. Along each side of the room were narrow paths, but separated from the platform Link stood on by the pit. Set at intervals along the walls above the paths were strange objects that looked like blue eyes. Link pulled out his bow and shot one experimentally. The eye turned red and closed. Nothing else happened.

But after a moment there was a clanking sound somewhere at the far end of the room, and something appeared out of the darkness. Link squinted and made out a platform, but floating in the air and moving towards him. It came to rest against the one Link was standing on, and he stepped onto it, hesitantly. Nothing happened for a moment, then it set off back down the dark room. Link took a moment to regain his balance, then pulled out his bow and started to shoot the eyes as he passed. The platform moved slowly, giving Link plenty of time between hits.

 _This isn't that hard_ , he thought, but as if in response the paths on either side of the room were filled with purple smoke, which was replaced by a dozen Bokoblins, all carrying quivers. They yelled as they saw Link, travelling slowly in between them, and raised their bows. He was an easy target. Link's eyes widened and he hurriedly raised his shield to protect himself. But he was surrounded: when he blocked the Bokoblins on one path the ones on the other attacked, and if he faced forward to block both paths the monsters behind him attacked.

Fortunately, the Bokoblins weren't very good marksmen, but it didn't matter. Faced with the onslaught of arrows, Link knew sooner or later one would hit him. And when he was injured, it would be much harder to fend off the others. He quickly raised his bow and shot an eye switch which had almost passed him, then lowered his aim and took out two of the nearest Bokoblins. He was greeted with a hail of arrows from behind him, and turned to block them with his shield.

As the platform carried Link away from the remaining Bokoblins, they clustered down along the path, all aiming at him. The ones behind him did the same. Link thought quickly while he shot two more switches. He drew his sword and held it aloft, hoping the sacred energy would be able to reach him indoors. Luckily, it worked, and within moments his sword was charged. He executed a spin attack, taking out all but one of the Bokoblins. It looked around in dumb confusion, nearly dropping its bow. Link pointed his bow at it, aiming carefully, then shot an arrow straight into the switch by the monster's ear. It turned to him, terrified.

'Go on. Get out of here,' Link told it. The monster gladly obeyed and vanished into a cloud of smoke. Link wasn't sure exactly why he had let the monster go instead of killing it, but murdering a defenceless and frightened creature was wrong, he knew. Suddenly his Mark of Farore glowed softly.

'It takes more courage to spare the life of your enemy than to take the life of your friend,' a voice said. Link spun round, looking around the darkened room for the voice. But he saw no-one, and as his brain processed it he realised he had heard the voice inside his own head. It sounded female, and somehow old, not in the crackly way of Impa's voice, but it was the voice of something eternal, which had been around for countless ages and knew it would be around for countless ages more.

'Who are you?' Link asked, shouting into the void. There was no reply. Thinking about how the voice had spoken to him, Link instead thought the question inside his head.

 _Who are you?_ Still no-one answered, but unlike when Link had spoken aloud, and felt that no-one had heard, now he felt that the owner of the voice had heard him, but was choosing to keep quiet. Shrugging, Link turned his attention back to the eye switches. If a mysterious voice wanted to give him advice on morality, it was fine by him.

He raised his bow and hit the last three eye switches, just as the floating platform hit the platform at the other end of the room. Link stepped off, looking around. Ahead of him was a door, barred, and otherwise the platform was empty. He frowned and looked back into the darkness, wondering if he had missed a switch. But he couldn't see any left, and anyway the platform didn't look like it would move again. He sighed, and thought hard. Suddenly an idea struck him, and he looked up at the ceiling. There he saw an open eye switch. Grinning, he shot it, and the bars over the door lifted.

He was about to open the door when two clouds of dust formed on either side of the platform, clearing to reveal small treasure chests. Link opened the first one and found a small key, which he pocketed. The second one had another chunk of stone in it, larger than the one from the sand room. Link took it out of his pouch and put it together with the larger one. They fitted together perfectly, forming a semicircle. But he still needed two more pieces. Link replaced the half-completed key in his pouch and went through the door.

-o-

Inside was another dark room, but fortunately free of pits. A few torches flickered on the walls, sending shadows dancing across the ground. Link drew his sword. Suddenly he heard a scraping sound, and turning saw bars shooting across the door behind him, trapping him. When he turned back he saw a figure facing him which hadn't been there a moment before. It wore a purple robe and its head was golden and bird-like, with two dark holes where the eyes should be. Link couldn't tell if the golden face was the figure's real head or a mask. He shivered. He wasn't sure he wanted to know.

The figure stood there for few moments in silence. Link frowned, wondering what was going to happen next. Surely if this was a monster it would have attacked by now?

'Um… hello?' he tried. Without a word the figure flicked its wrists and two long, curved swords appeared from somewhere in its robe. Suddenly it leapt at Link, swords out in front of it. Link blocked with his shield, forcing the monster back, and managed a slice of his own. But he was unprepared for the monster's swift counter-attack, which cut across his chest, making him gasp for breath. He stepped back and tried again, performing a flawless jump strike.

Suddenly the monster vanished into thin air. Link looked around, confused, but then saw a shadow over him, getting larger. He jumped to the side just in time as the monster attacked from above. It fell off-balance for a moment and Link took the opportunity to attack. His furious stab hit the monster's mask, creating a long crack across it. The monster staggered backwards, and Link expected it to burst into the purple smoke which signalled defeat. But the monster looked down at its blades, as if in surprise, and suddenly they burst into flame.

'Oh, great,' Link said aloud. 'As if this wasn't hard enough already.' The monster looked back at him, and attacked once again. Link raised his shield and blocked, not wanting to risk attacking and being counterattacked by the burning swords. After a few blocks the monster stood back, bouncing in a circle around Link, looking for an opening. Without taking his eyes off it Link raised his sword skyward and charged it with energy. The monster leapt again, and disappeared. Link looked up, expecting another attack from above, but he was knocked to the ground as the monster appeared beside him, slashing at his back.

Link struggled to his feet, and to his relief the energy had stayed in the Master Sword. The monster bounced around a few feet away from Link, out of range, but he swiped his sword, and a vertical shock wave shot out and hit the monster. Before it could get up Link ran over, leapt in the air and plunged his sword into the monster's chest. It groaned, and fell still. Link stood back, breathing heavily.

As the adrenalin wore off he felt the pain from his wounds on his back and chest and fumbled in his pouch for a potion. He thanked Nayru he had remembered to borrow a few off Zelda before they split up. He drank the sweet red potion and felt his wounds healing up. But a sound from behind him made him spin round, sword drawn. To his horror he saw the monster getting unsteadily to its feet. He raised his arm to attack it, but it held up a hand.

'You fought well, Hylian,' it managed. Link was frozen with shock, amazed that the monster could speak Hylian. 'As a reward for your bravery and prowess with your sword, I shall share my wisdom with you. The restless spirits who wander this place… they can be banished by the golden light from above. Whether I speak the truth or not… that is for you to decide.' The monster finished speaking and pulled out a bomb. Link just had time to raise his shield before it exploded, and when the smoke cleared there was no sign of the fallen monster.

'…Right,' Link told the empty room. He wondered what the monster had meant by 'restless spirits' and 'golden light'. He thought about the energy that charged in his sword, but that was pale blue rather than golden. He wasn't even sure he should trust the monster's words. After all, it had tried to kill him. Suddenly a dust cloud appeared, leaving behind a large treasure chest. Link opened it, and found a shield. But as he picked it up the silvered surface reflected the light of the torches, almost blinding Link.

 _A Mirror Shield!_ he thought. _That ought to come in handy._ He hesitantly took the Hylian Shield from his back, looking down at it thoughtfully. After a moment he placed it in the treasure chest and closed it again. He wondered if another Hero would visit this temple again in years to come. Well, now he had stolen the better shield, at least they would have something. He strapped the new Mirror Shield on his back, and made his way back to the main room.

-o-

He looked around, wondering which of the locked doors to go through. After deliberating a few moments more he chose the door on the left, unlocking it. The room was circular, with another pool of light in the centre of it. Leaning against the wall were six objects. Link gulped as he saw them. They looked an awful lot like sarcophagi. He stepped forward cautiously, expecting something to leap out.

Suddenly there was a scraping sound and bars shot across the door. Link raised his sword and shield, waiting for the inevitable attack. There was silence for a moment, then a crash from behind him. Link spun round. The lid of one of the sarcophagi had fallen to the ground, revealing the contents: a Hylianoid figure, heavily wrapped in bandages. It moaned slightly, then raised its arms and staggered out of the sarcophagus towards Link.

He immediately leapt towards it, sword raised, but the monster let out a piercing scream which froze Link in mid-air. The monster continued towards him, and after a few moments Link was released. He landed and quickly rolled around behind the monster, slicing up its back with his sword. It tore the bandages apart and the monster groaned as the sword cut through it. It tried to turn around to face its attacker but it was slower than the nimble Hylian, and Link managed to land a few more hits before he was suddenly frozen again. He was confused, as the monster was still facing away from him, but as he heard the sound of three more sarcophagus lids hitting the ground he realised the monster had friends.

The one he was fighting suddenly jumped onto Link's back, biting hard at his neck. Link yelled in pain as he unfroze, throwing the monster off. He performed a spin attack, cutting the monster's chest open, and it vanished in purple smoke. Link turned around to face the other three monsters. He took in the thick bandages and the burning torches on the walls, and had an idea. Sheathing his sword, he pulled out his boomerang and threw it at the nearest torch. When it returned he launched it in an arc, hitting all three monsters. They groaned loudly as their bandages burned away.

But instead of killing them, like Link had expected, the bandages disintegrated to reveal the monsters underneath. They had reddish skin and skull-like faces, with dark holes for eyes. They appeared to be little more than skeletons with skin stretched over them, as Link could clearly see their bones. He backed away, shield raised, praying they didn't scream again. He backed into the pool of light and the sun's rays reflected off his shield, hitting the nearest monster. It groaned, falling to the ground, and vanished in a cloud of purple smoke.

Link frowned in confusion. Suddenly he remembered the cryptic words of the masked monster from before: 'The restless spirits who wander this place… they can be banished by the golden light from above.' Restless spirits referred to the monsters, and the golden light from above meant the sun. Grinning, Link turned his shield towards the other two monsters, watching as the light killed them instantly.

When the room was silent and calm he lowered the mirror shield and pulled another red potion from his pouch to heal the bite marks on his neck. He looked around the room thoughtfully. Until he found a key to unlock the final door in the main room he had no way forward, and there was no door leading out of this room. The only things Link hadn't investigated were the two remaining unopened sarcophagi. Link was hesitant, not wanting to encounter another monster. He went over to one of the sarcophagi and hit the lid, hard. There was no sound from inside. If there was a monster, it was doing a very good job of hiding.

Cautiously Link opened the lid, which fell to the floor with a bang. Fortunately, the sarcophagus was empty except for a large piece of rock at the bottom. Link picked it up and, recognising the curved edge, fitted it against the two other pieces of the key he had found. They joined seamlessly, but there was still a sliver of stone missing. Link placed all three pieces in his pouch and investigated the other sarcophagus. This one was not casually leaned against the walls like the others, but fixed firmly to it. Link lifted the lid and to his surprise the sarcophagus actually concealed an opening, leading to the next room. Trying to swallow his feelings of being buried alive, Link stepped into the sarcophagus and looked around the new room.

-o-

He was standing on a raised platform, high above a sea of sand. Link leaned over the edge cautiously, dislodging a small piece of rock. It fell down into the sand, hitting the walls as it went. The sound echoed around the room. Immediately five trails of sand burst up, racing towards the fallen stone. Five sand worms emerged, gnashing their jaws, before sinking back down into the sand. Link nodded to himself.

'Not down there, then,' he muttered, looking across the room. On the other wall, at his level, was another platform with a small chest on it and a large blue block behind. The block had a picture of a sun on it, with an eye in the centre. Between Link and the platform was empty air, but several columns protruded from the ceiling, ending halfway to the floor. Each one had a clawshot point on it, but the pillars were laced with thick cracks. Link doubted whether they would support his weight, but he had no other option.

Sighing, he pulled out his clawshots and took aim at the nearest column. When it took his weight there was a cracking noise, and several pieces of stone fell down, one of them hitting Link on the head. Gritting his teeth, he quickly aimed at the next column and took off. Moments later the pillar he had just left cracked completely through, falling down into the sand. Link forced himself not to look but he couldn't block his ears, and he heard the sand worms rushing over, expecting prey. It was as good an incentive as any not to fall.

He shot to the next column, then the next, each one falling just as he left it. He took a moment to survey his next target: the final pillar. But this one was more cracked than the others. Link took a deep breath, clawshotted over to it then immediately launched his clawshot at the treasure chest on the platform. But he wasn't fast enough. The pillar cracked, and Link felt weightless as he fell in a hail of stones from the pillar. The sand worms gathered below, waiting, but suddenly his launched clawshot caught, dragging him up to the safety of the platform.

He crouched on the edge for a moment to slow his pounding heart, laughing to himself as the waiting worms got a mouthful of rock for their efforts. When he had recovered he kicked the treasure chest open, revealing a small key. He looked back across the room, wondering if he could get back to the main room and the last locked door that way. But the columns were destroyed, and the distance was too far to clawshot across.

Sighing, Link turned his attention to the blue sun block. There was a small pool of light in front of it and Link stepped forward, raising his mirror shield. The light was reflected onto the block which glowed for a moment, then faded and vanished. Behind it was a passage, dimly lit by torches. Link followed it, until it ended abruptly in a flat wall. He looked back, wondering if he had missed something, but the tunnel was bare.

He leant against the end wall to think, and suddenly he felt it moving behind him. He fell backwards onto the ground on the other side, and saw the hidden door rotating smoothly. When it turned back it vanished into the wall again, and Link couldn't see a gap. He pressed against it, but it didn't move. Turning around, he found the secret door had taken him back into the main room, with only one locked door left. He unlocked it, and went inside.

-o-

The next room had a pool of light by the entrance, but was otherwise dark. It was a long corridor, but curved, so Link couldn't see the end from where he stood. At various points along the walls were large mirrors, but they were silvery and opaque, and didn't reflect the room. Curious, Link brought out his mirror shield and reflected the light from the entrance onto the nearest one.

The mirror shone, getting brighter and brighter until it was a wall of light. At that point Link lowered his shield, interested. The light poured out of the mirror in a stream, lasting for several seconds before it faded. Link waited to see if anything else would happen, and when it didn't he walked down the curved corridor. At the end was another sun block, but no ray of light in front of it. Puzzled, Link looked back along the passage, with the light-storing mirrors, then back at the block.

Inspiration hit him and he ran back to the pool of light at the entrance, reflecting it into the first mirror. When it was full he ran forward and reflected the stream of light into the next mirror. He repeated this, going from mirror to mirror as fast as he could. He lost time between them and when he reached the final mirror there were only a few seconds of light remaining, but it was enough. The sun block vanished, revealing a door behind. Link replaced his shield and went through.

-o-

The next room was completely dark, with no torches. But as Link's eyes adjusted he made out a faint glow near the ceiling. Looking up, he saw that there was sunlight above, but it was blocked out by rocks covering the hole. While he was wondering how to move them Link suddenly heard a sound that made the hairs on the back of his neck rise: the moans of the bandaged monsters from before. He looked around, but could see nothing in the darkness. It sounded like there were several, but without the sun's light he couldn't kill them.

He quickly rummaged through his equipment, finding his bomb bag. He pulled out two and rolled them away from him in opposite directions, hoping they would take out some of the enemies. They did, as the blast illuminated the room for a moment, but they also showed Link that he was surrounded by the monsters on all sides, and there were at least eight of them left. Fortunately, it seemed as though the monsters did not have good night vision, so they couldn't see and freeze him in the darkness.

Thinking quickly Link pulled out a third bomb and set it off, waiting for it glow red a few times. He wanted to throw it upwards to unblock the hole in the ceiling, but to do that his timing had to be exactly right, so he had to wait. But the blinking light gave away his position, and suddenly a monster screamed, immobilizing Link. While he was frozen the bomb started blinking more quickly, almost ready to explode, and as soon as Link recovered he tossed it up in the air frantically.

The red glow reached its zenith and began to fall back down towards Link – when suddenly there was a blinding explosion and light flooded into the room. Link sighed in relief and wasted no time in reflecting light onto the monsters, destroying them instantly. When they were gone he looked around the now-illuminated room. It was smaller than he had expected, and bare, with only three small objects in a row on the wall facing him. They looked like golden suns, except there were faces in the middle of the suns, similar to the design on the sun block. Remembering that, Link raised his shield and shone a light onto the left one, which burst into flames.

Immediately he heard yells behind him, and turning he saw four red Bokoblins appear. He charged the energy in his sword and released it in a broad swipe, taking out two of the monsters. A jump attack took out another as the last one slashed at Link with its sword. He blocked easily and stabbed the final monster. As they vanished in smoke Link remembered with a laugh how much trouble he'd had with the first Bokoblins he had ever encountered, back in Faron Woods with Zelda. He wondered where she was now. He had seen no sign of her in Zora's Domain with Lanayru, so he assumed she had already passed her trial and was battling her way through a temple of her own.

As he turned back to the two remaining sun switches and the charred mark where the third one had been, he hoped Zelda was having more luck with her temple than he was with his. He hesitated, wondering which sun switch to pick. He knew now that a wrong choice would trigger a trap. He thought carefully, then hit the switch on the right. To his dismay it also burnt up, and he heard a scraping sound to his left. Looking, he saw a line of small holes opening on the wall at head height, each one holding an arrow. He ducked, holding his shield protectively over his head, as a hail of arrows whizzed past. When the noise had died down he peered out cautiously. The holes had closed again, and Link was left with only one sun switch.

'It had better be this one,' he muttered. He shone a light onto the centre switch, but that one burnt away as well. But he heard nothing, no monster battle-cry, no trap being set. He looked back at the charred mark where the switch had been and noticed a small alcove in the wall. He squinted, and saw something in it. He raised a clawshot and shot it into the hole, and when it retracted there was something tightly grasped in the claws.

He held it up to examine it, and to his joy it was a sliver of rock, the last piece needed to complete the key. He pulled out the other three pieces and fitted them together. The cracks between them shone green, and when the light faded the circle was whole again, as if it had never been broken. Grinning to himself, Link returned to the main room. Once there he carefully fitted the circle into the indent in the large door, completing the symbol of Farore.

He stood in front of it, expecting the door to open, but nothing happened. He turned away, looking around the room to see if he had missed something, and as he did so he heard a noise from behind him. It was strange, almost silvery. If light could make a noise, Link imagined it would be something like this. He looked back at the door, but the noise stopped immediately. Frowning, Link turned away again. The noise returned. He spun round, but it faded. Frustrated, Link forced himself to think.

 _Zelda would know what to do_ , he thought despondently. Then he shook himself. _This is the Temple of Courage, not Wisdom. I can figure this out!_ He looked behind him, and saw the mirror shield on his back. Realisation dawned, and Link raised it in front of him, standing in the pool of light. He reflected the light onto the symbol on the door, and it began to glow green, making the same noise as before.

As he held it the noise grew louder and the light grew brighter, until suddenly the door vanished in a flash of green light. Link lowered his shield, but didn't put it away, instead drawing his sword. Somewhere beyond the door, he knew, was the Triforce of Courage. But he was equally sure that there would be something guarding it. Sighing in resignation, he entered the darkness beyond the door.

-o-

As soon as he was through the door reappeared, sealing him in. Link turned, but knew there was no point trying to open it. Instead, he looked round at the new room. It was circular, and vast, so big that Link could barely see the other side. There was no floor, just a narrow path that ran round the edge of the room. Below it was an abyss, the bottom shrouded in darkness. In the centre of the room was a round column, rising from the pit. It was very large, and looked sturdy, but a little way down it narrowed suddenly, and the thin part was covered in cracks, as if something immensely strong had crashed into the pillar, weakening it. Link shuddered, hoping he wouldn't have to meet whatever had caused the damage. But he had a dismal premonition that he would.

The top of the pillar was covered in sand, and it was this that drew Link's attention once he had surveyed the rest of the room. He could see no sign of any monster, nor the Triforce, so he knew whatever would face him next was probably hidden in the sand. As if it could sense his scrutiny, the sand suddenly rose up in a mound, right at the centre, and a pair of gigantic jaws burst out. They were followed by a long, armoured body, rising in segments until it towered above Link. The rest of the body remained buried in the sand.

Link drew his sword as he watched the boss. It resembled a worm, or a snake, but many, many times larger. Link was a mere speck next to the creature. Its body was heavily armoured, and Link knew he would not be able to break through with just his sword. The jaws were toothless, but that didn't matter. If Link got close enough to them, he would be swallowed whole. Gulping, he raised his shield.

The monster glared down at him for a moment, then reared back and spat out a ball of glowing energy. Link instinctively blocked with his shield, and the energy ball bounced off, speeding directly back at the monster. It roared in rage, but the ball bounced off its armour harmlessly. It lunged at Link, jaws snapping emptily over the air where he had been a moment before. The boss looked round in confusion, and spotted its prey running round the thin path along the wall. It spat another energy ball, and as Link raised his shield he thought quickly.

He couldn't get close enough to damage the boss, and his long range weapons, his bow and clawshots, would never be able to pierce the monster's armour. The only way Link could hurt it was by reflecting back its attacks, but the energy ball had no effect against the armour. His eyes dropped, and he caught sight of the thin and cracked part of the column the monster was perched on. He grinned. There was no armour on the pillar.

He angled his shield downwards slightly, and the energy ball was reflected down, hitting the cracked part of column. The whole structure shook from the impact, and the boss screamed in rage. A few chunks of stone fell off the narrow part, but Link knew he would need to hit it again. He set off running as the worm lunged, and reflected the next energy ball down into the same place. For a moment the pillar tipped, but it stayed there, unwilling to fall. Link narrowed his eyes, but decided that one more good hit would probably do it.

The only problem was that this boss was more intelligent than most monsters. It had realised that its attacks were the very thing that allowed its prey to attack it back, and decided to stick to the tried and tested method of eating the enemy alive. As Link dodged yet another bite, he considered his options. Now the pillar was so damaged, it wouldn't take much force to topple it, but it was too far away to hit with his clawshot. Suddenly he had an idea, and pulled out his bow and bomb bag. Quickly making a bomb arrow, he aimed carefully and his weapon struck the column at the exact right point. It cracked through, and collapsed into the abyss below. Link heard one last scream of rage from the boss, before it faded into silence.

Link stayed the way he was, sword drawn, waiting for the boss to come back to life and attack him again. By now, he had enough experience of these things to know that it was never over after a mere three hits. But suddenly a green light appeared in mid-air, over where the column had been. It grew brighter, and solidified into a floating platform of green stone. A path of the same material formed between the platform and the path around the edge where Link was standing. He watched it suspiciously, but it seemed genuine.

Carefully he edged out onto it, looking around for a trick. When he reached the platform he saw that it was engraved with the symbol of Farore in the centre, and realised this might actually lead him to the Triforce. But he was still unwilling to believe he had actually defeated the boss. Suddenly the room began to shake, and the path around the edge began to crumble, leaving Link stranded on the floating platform. There was a roar from below, and Link watched in horror as the boss rose out of the pit, as if borne by invisible wings.

'It can fly now. Of course it can. Why make this easy on me? Why don't you add poison breath and five extra arms while you're at it?' he grumbled, addressing the empty air. The monster roared at him, and set off around the room, flying in circles around the platform. As Link struggled to keep it in view he noticed something: its fall had knocked off a piece of the armour on its underside, revealing a weak spot.

 _Aha_ , Link thought. He raised his bow, nocked another bomb arrow, and shot it straight at the gap in the armour. The boss bucked and writhed in pain, but kept circling. Link repeated the trick, making the monster roar louder. Suddenly it turned sharply, flying low over the platform. Link was completely unprepared for the change in tactics, and was knocked clean off the platform. But as he fell he saw something above him and grabbed on instinctively. The thing he was holding onto was hard and scaly, and Link realised with a shock it was the monster's tail.

It wove around, trying to shake this parasite off, but Link clung on. He worked his way up the body until he was near the head of the worm, and wondered desperately how to reach its weak spot. The gap in its armour was on the underside of the body, and getting to it would require Link to climb down until he was hanging upside down, and try to attack from there. He thought about this, but realised he had no other option.

Sighing, he drew his sword and, clinging tightly, began to clamber down to the monster's underbelly. The manoeuvre was complicated by the monster's movements, as it was still trying to remove him, but he hung on grimly. Eventually he made it, and tried to focus on the exposed skin in front of him while the world whirled upside down around him.

'Just like riding a Loftwing,' he told himself. _Except my Loftwing doesn't usually try to kill me_ , he added in his head. He gripped his sword tightly, and plunged it down hard into the boss' weak spot. It screamed in pain and rage, then its movements faltered. It kept going under sheer momentum, but began to plunge into the pit below. As it fell past the floating green platform Link let go, landing on his feet. He hurried to the edge and watched as the worm disappeared into the darkness.

 _It won't recover from that in a hurry_ , Link thought with grim satisfaction. Something small and shiny flew up out of the pit, landing on the platform. Link saw it was a heart container, and gratefully allowed it to heal him. Then he stepped into the centre of the crest engraved on the platform, wondering what to do next. He looked down, and saw there was a hole in the centre of the crest, deep but narrow. It looked about the same size as Link's sword. He prodded it experimentally, and when nothing happened he slotted his sword in. There was still no change, and Link frowned in thought.

 _This is a test_ , he told himself, _to make sure I really am the person destined to hold the Triforce of Courage. So how do I prove I'm me?_ He looked down at his sword, wondering what was special about it. It was the legendary Master Sword, but apparently that wasn't enough proof. Suddenly an idea came to him. He held his sword skyward, waiting until it was fully charged with light, then plunged it into the centre of the crest. The platform glowed, dissolving back into green light, then vanished along with Link.

-o-

When the bright light faded he blinked a few times and looked around him. He was in a circular chamber, on a small platform with a deep pit below him. On the other side of the room was another platform, with a thin path connecting the two. Golden light flooded in through a large window behind him, and Link looked out at his surroundings, expecting to see the harsh desert landscape. To his surprise, beyond the window were rolling green fields, moving slightly in the breeze. The sky above was the golden colour of twilight, but with no sign of the sun. The whole scene was lit by a golden light, seemingly emanating from the land itself.

 _Where am I?_ he thought.

'Welcome, Link. This place is known as the Sacred Realm.' Link turned to the voice, but there was no-one there. It was the same one he had heard before, female and ancient, and again he realised it was in his head.

 _Who are you?_ he thought.

'There will be time enough for that later,' the voice replied. 'You have passed every trial I have laid before you. You are now worthy of claiming the Triforce of Courage.' Euphoria rose in Link's chest. The legendary artefact he had heard so much about, the golden power of the gods, and finally he would be able to claim it.

 _How?_ he asked.

'Look over there.' Link obeyed. On the far platform he saw the golden symbol of the Triforce, glowing softly. Link grinned, and stepped out onto the narrow path. However, it suddenly glowed green, and vanished, leaving empty air between Link and his goal. He frowned.

 _What do I do now?_

'Have courage,' was the only reply. Link frowned in exasperation.

 _Courage won't allow me to walk on air_ , he retorted mentally.

'No. But if you have courage, then I may help you. Be brave, Link. Do not doubt yourself, or my power. Claim the Triforce.' Link looked down at the pit below, wondering what the strange voice meant.

 _Don't doubt myself. Right. Be brave_ , he thought. Then he looked ahead, at the Triforce symbol, and shrugged. _How hard can it be?_ He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and stepped out onto the abyss. He gasped as he felt firm ground under his feet. He was about to open his eyes to look, not believing what his senses were telling him, but resisted just in time. _No doubts_ , he reminded himself. Instead he stepped forward, walking slowly across what he knew was empty air, but what he felt was solid ground. His heart hammered in his chest, wondering how the mysterious voice was doing this, and why she would even help him.

But after what felt like an eternity of walking, Link felt a change in texture that meant he was back on the hard stone of the far platform. Relieved, he opened his eyes, but couldn't resist looking back. There was nothing there, just the darkness of the abyss below. He really had walked on air. He smiled to himself.

 _Thank you_ , he thought, but there was no reply. He stepped forward, onto the Triforce symbol. Suddenly the world faded to black, and he was surrounded by darkness. But he was not alone. In front of him was a beautiful woman, with bright green eyes. But she was entirely golden. Her skin, hair, clothes, everything except her eyes shone, and gave off a soft golden light. Link gasped, then instinct took over. He knelt down on one knee in the presence of the goddess.

'Rise, Link,' she said, and for the first time Link heard her voice outside his head. He obeyed, and looked at her. 'I am Farore, Goddess of Courage,' she informed him.

'You were the voice in my head! Why would you help me?'

'You are the Chosen One. Each of us Golden Goddesses has chosen a champion, and we may help that champion to a certain extent. I cannot give you a sword of fire or make you immortal, but I can guide you.' Link nodded, still awestruck by being in the presence of a deity. He had prayed to this figure since he was a child, and he couldn't quite believe he was meeting her in real life. Although he wasn't entirely sure this realm of blackness was real life.

'Link, you have proven yourself to have true Courage. And so, I grant you the Triforce of Courage,' Farore continued. She held out her arms in front of her, and a golden light appeared in the air between them. It glowed brighter, forcing Link to turn away, but when it faded he looked back and his jaw dropped. Floating above Farore's hands was a golden triangle: the Triforce of Courage. Without being entirely aware of what he was doing, Link held out his own arms, and the triangle floated across to him.

Suddenly it glowed again, and vanished, but Link felt a warm sensation in his left hand. He held it up, and saw that the green Mark of Farore he had been born with had been replaced by the symbol of the Triforce. The bottom right triangle glowed slightly brighter than the others, signifying Courage. Link looked back at the goddess.

'Do not misuse its power,' she warned him. Link nodded.

'Thank you,' he told her, meaning the words. She smiled, placing her hands together, and the darkness around him faded. Link looked around, and saw to his surprise that he was once again at the edge of the desert, where the grass met the sand. A chewing noise from behind him made him turn, and he laughed when he saw Epona watching him calmly, cropping the grass. He shaded his eyes from the afternoon sun as he looked back at the desert, almost wondering if he had imagined it all. But then he looked down at his hand, and knew he hadn't. He now bore the Triforce of Courage.

-o-

A/N: One Triforce piece down, two to go! Do you think Link and Zelda will get there before Demise?


	20. Chapter 20: The Temple of Wisdom

A/N: Another temple today I'm afraid. Sorry, I know they're not the most interesting but once I'd put some in I had to put the rest in. Good news is that tomorrow's chapter is going to be (hopefully) a lot more interesting, and after that there's only one more temple, which is still several days away. A lot of fun stuff happens between now and then, so keep an eye out!

-o-

On the other side of Hyrule, Zelda was struggling through a howling blizzard. Following Lanayru's advice she had travelled to the eastern part of the Eldin Mountains, and just as he had told her, the volcanic landscape eventually gave way to snow and ice as she climbed higher. She knew the Temple of Wisdom from her vision would be somewhere in the area, but the biting wind and flurries of snow made it difficult to see, and the mountains all looked the same.

She trekked up the valley between two of the tallest peaks, leaning against the wind until she was almost horizontal, and shielding her eyes with her hand. Suddenly the path ahead of her vanished, and Zelda stopped just in time to avoid falling over a cliff. Abruptly the wind dropped and the blizzard vanished, leaving the freezing air completely clear. Zelda wondered why the weather had suddenly changed, but decided to be grateful, and surveyed the valley in front of her.

The sun glinted off the snow, making it difficult to see, but she made out an enormous structure below her. It shone, and Zelda realised it was made of pure ice, shaped into a building she recognised from her vision: the Temple of Wisdom. The temple was built in the shape of the symbol of Nayru, but unlike the symbol, the temple had another circle in the centre of the other three. While the outer ones were covered the centre circle was open, and Zelda could make out a sculpture of some kind on the far side, but she was too far away to see any details. Still, she was relieved to have finally found the object of her search.

She thought for a moment about how to get down from the cliff to reach the temple, then pulled out one of her clawshots and shot it firmly into the rock at the edge of the cliff. Then she abseiled down the rock face, landing softly on the blanket of snow at the base. Retracting her clawshot she set off for the temple, quickly. The wind had picked up again, and Zelda was shivering. Unlike Link, whose arms were covered by his tunic, Zelda's arms were bare, and the biting wind soon had her teeth chattering. She hoped it would be warmer inside the temple.

Soon she was standing outside it, looking up at the two enormous doors, made entirely of ice, which led into it. She cautiously raised a hand to push them apart, but to her surprise they opened at a mere touch. Zelda hesitated on the threshold, wondering what traps lay inside, but eventually the freezing air forced her to enter the temple.

-o-

She gasped as she looked around the entrance room. The walls, ceiling and floor were all made from solid, flawless ice, with not a single crack or bubble. The glittering surfaces reflected everything, and Zelda was surrounded by a thousand points of glinting light. Surprisingly, the icy room was warm, without the bone-chilling wind from outside, which Zelda was glad of.

She looked around, wondering where to start. At the far end of the room was a set of double doors, the only thing not made of ice, and she hurried over to them. They were solid stone, with the mark of Nayru engraved on them. Zelda tried to open them, but they wouldn't budge. Sighing, she looked for another way forward. On one side of the room was another door, which blended into the surrounding ice so well Zelda nearly didn't see it, but she examined it. Fortunately, this one was open, and Zelda went through.

-o-

The room inside was very large, and circular, and Zelda decided this must be the interior of one of the circles she had seen from outside. It had the same ice walls as the entrance, but the floor was covered in a blanket of soft snow. Zelda spied a door on one wall and stepped forward, only to immediately turn as bars shot over the door behind her, and the one on the far wall.

She narrowed her eyes and drew her sword, preparing herself for an attack. The pure white snow looked undisturbed, but Zelda knew she wasn't safe. She walked into the centre of the room, and suddenly heard a howl from behind her. She spun round and saw a large wolf-like creature emerging from the snow, its fur as white as its surroundings.

'A White Wolfos,' a voice informed her. Zelda paused and looked all around her, wondering where the voice had come from. With a start, she realised that it was inside her head. She thought for a moment, wondering why she was hearing voices, but a snarl from the monster knocked the thought from her mind. She had bigger problems right now than a mysterious voice.

The Wolfos circled Zelda, red eyes gleaming. Zelda heard more howls around her, and soon found she was surrounded. Four monsters circled her, looking for a chance to attack. One of them leapt, jaws gaping, and Zelda brought up her shield to block it. She heard its claws scrape against the metal, but the monster fell back in frustration. As it returned to its friends it exposed its long, glossy tail, and Zelda sliced at it, seeing a weak spot. The monster howled in pain this time, and fell to the ground, defeated. Its body melted back into the snow, leaving just three Wolfos remaining.

 _That's it?_ Zelda thought. _That's all I have to do? Just hit the tail?_ But the other monsters had seen her tactic, and all three of them tucked their tails between their legs, glaring and snarling at her. Two of them leapt at the same time and Zelda ducked, rolling out of the way as they crashed into each other and fell to the ground, stunned. She seized her opportunity and slashed at one of the Wolfos' tails, killing it, but the other one recovered before she could to the same to it. It jumped at her again, knocking her over, but she managed to keep her shield between it and her. After a struggle she managed to push it off her, flipping it onto its back, and she stabbed its tail.

While it melted into the snow alongside its friends Zelda wondered briefly why their tails were so vulnerable. But she shrugged, and looked around for the last one. It stood straight ahead, glaring at her. Then without a sound it vanished into the snow. Zelda looked around, wondering where it had gone, but the white blanket was undisturbed. Suddenly something knocked her to the ground from behind. She felt sharp claws on her back and cold breath on her neck. Her sword flew from her hand and her shield was trapped under her, leaving her unable to defend herself.

Zelda thought frantically, and as the Wolfos went in for the final attack a dome of flame exploded from her body. Din's Fire instantly melted the monster, and Zelda let the spell die down with a sense of relief. She stood up, but immediately fell back down onto the snow. She took a few breaths and tried again, more slowly this time. She had only ever used that spell once before, during her fight against Tentalus, and she had forgotten how draining it was. It sapped far more of her energy than Nayru's Love or Farore's Wind, but it was by far her most powerful spell. She retrieved her sword, still breathing heavily, and tried to assess the extent of the wounds on her back. Deciding they weren't too deep she turned towards the door leading out of the room, but to her surprise it was still barred.

 _Please don't say I have to fight more of those things_ , Zelda silently prayed, and her prayers were answered when a bright blue light flashed behind her. Turning round she saw a short pillar, about waist height, with the symbol of Nayru on top. She examined it, but could see no clue as to what it was supposed to do. Still, it seemed to be her only way out of the room, so she hesitantly placed her hand on the symbol. The Mark of Nayru on the back of her hand glowed blue, and the light flowed into the symbol on the pillar. Suddenly it glowed brighter, obscuring Zelda's vision.

When it cleared, she gasped as she realised she was looking down at the temple from above. She tried to move, to see what she was standing on, but she couldn't even move her head. She forced herself to calm down, realising that this must be just a vision. Below, the bottom right circle of the temple suddenly lit up with blue light, clearly the effect of the beacon Zelda had lit. The vision changed, and now Zelda was standing in front of the large door at the temple entrance, with the symbol of Nayru on it. The bottom right circle of that lit up as well, before the vision faded and Zelda found herself once again standing in the centre of the snow-covered room. There was a scraping noise, and she saw the bars over the doors lifting. Relieved, she headed over to the door on the far side and went into the next room.

-o-

Zelda slipped as she entered the room, as the floor was made from smooth ice, but regained her balance just in time to stop herself falling into a deep pit. She peered down cautiously, but could see nothing but darkness. She became aware of a whirring noise, and looking ahead she saw a round platform of ice, spinning rapidly. At the centre of the platform was a lit torch, but instead of normal fire the torch burned with light blue flames. Zelda looked around the room, and saw four other platforms, one in each corner, all with an unlit torch on.

On the far side of the room was another platform with another door, but it was barred. Looking back in front of her, she stood back, then leapt onto the spinning platform. She skidded slightly, and tried to balance on the moving ice, then managed to grab onto the base of the torch. Steadying herself, she made it upright and examined the torch. She held her hand near the flames, and to her surprise they were cold instead of hot. But she knew the freezing fire would burn just as much as normal fire.

As the room whirled past she caught sight of one of the unlit torches, and wondered how to light it. Obviously she had to carry the fire from the torch on the spinning platform, as there was no other fire in the room, but how to get it over to the other torches? For a moment Zelda wished Link was with her; he could easily use his boomerang to light the fires. But she shook herself, and thought about the problem.

 _How can I do it? All I have is my sword, clawshots, and bow. Wait – bow. Arrows…_ She nocked an arrow in her bow, pointing it straight at the torch in front of her. She timed her shot carefully, waiting until the lit torch lined up with an unlit torch on a corner platform, then let the arrow fly. The icy fire ignited the weapon as it passed through, carrying the fire to the far torch and lighting it. Pleased, Zelda repeated the shot for the next two torches and was just lining up the fourth and final shot when a jerk of the platform caused her to lose her footing. She stumbled for a moment, then fell off the edge of the platform.

She tried desperately to grab on to it as she passed, but the smooth ice gave her no handhold. She plummeted down into the darkness, panic filling her mind. But an idea cut through it like a shaft of light through dark clouds, and she quickly cast her spell. Green light surrounded her, and Farore's Wind teleported her back up onto the platform at the entrance of the room. Zelda took a moment to catch her breath, relieved it had worked. She had never tried to use the spell while moving before, and silently thanked the Goddess of Courage for aiding her.

She straightened up and jumped back onto the moving platform, ignited the final torch, and leapt onto the platform at the far side, where the bars over the door lifted. She pulled it open, taking one last look back at the spinning ice platform, shuddered, and went through to the next room.

-o-

An icy chill hit her as soon as she stepped through, and she shivered. The room was covered in snow, like the room with the White Wolfos, but unlike that one the new room also had a large pool of water in it, stretching from wall to wall and blocking Zelda's path to the door on the far side of the room. She frowned, and knelt down to the water, wondering if she could swim across. But when she cautiously dipped a finger in the water burned as if it was made of lava, and Zelda withdrew it hurriedly, holding her finger with her other hand to warm it. The water was freezing cold. Zelda was grateful she'd had the foresight not to jump straight into it. She doubted she would have survived.

'So, swimming is not an option,' she muttered to herself. Just then she caught sight of a series of white objects rising up from the bottom of the pool. They bobbed to the surface, and Zelda realised they were icebergs, but worn smooth on top to form platforms. She watched them carefully, but they seemed stable enough, and they formed a rough line from one bank to the other. She jumped lightly onto the first one. It tipped, but she quickly adjusted her position to balance it out and it stayed above water. Sighing with relief, she hopped from one iceberg to the next as fast as she could, worried they wouldn't stay afloat for long. But when she was halfway across she suddenly heard a twittering noise, and looking around she saw several bat-like creatures hanging off the ceiling. When they saw her they flew down, swarming around her.

'Keese,' the voice in her head informed her, as Zelda ducked down on the iceberg and covered her face with her arms. The batterings of the Keese threatened to pitch her into the water, so she drew her sword and sliced it through the air, taking out several of the bat monsters. The rest flew off to watch her from a safe distance, but their yellow eyes glowed with malice.

Zelda leapt quickly from one iceberg to the next, trying to make it to the other side before they swooped at her again. But they were faster, and soon she had to stop and swipe at the Keese with her sword, managing to hit a few before they flew off again. She jumped to the next iceberg but landed on one side, tipping the platform and nearly sending her into the water. She grabbed on desperately to the other side and the iceberg righted itself, but the Keese took the opportunity to dive-bomb her. She flailed at them, making them back off, but they didn't go far. One of them returned, scraping the back of her neck with its claws. When it was gone Zelda stood up and brushed her hair out of her eyes, glaring at the monsters. She felt her neck and her hand came back wet with blood.

'That's it,' she said, drawing her bow. She deftly shot the Keese as they flew frantically around the room, trying to get out of range of her arrows, but Zelda didn't miss a shot. Finally, the room was quiet as the last bat burst into purple smoke. Zelda made her way to the other side of the water, wiping the blood from her neck. The gash wasn't deep, but it stung. She scooped up some water from the icy pool and splashed it on her wound, crying out at the burning cold. But the pain soon faded, and was replaced with a numb sensation which was much better than the stinging of the wound. Satisfied, Zelda went through the door at the end of the room.

-o-

The next room was warmer, without any freezing water, and completely made of the shining ice. It was large and circular, and Zelda realised this was the second circle of the temple. She looked around for the beacon she knew she had to light, but the room was empty except for a barred door on one wall, and several strange tiles on the floor. As she slowly walked over to one she heard a hissing noise, and a grey figure burst out of the nearest tile. It resembled an old, goblin-like man, with grey skin and yellow eyes.

'A Wizzrobe,' her internal voice told her, and again Zelda wondered who the voice belonged to. But again, she forced herself to focus on the problem at hand. The Wizzrobe carried a staff, tipped with icy fire, which it raised above its head. The fire grew brighter and Zelda's eyes widened as she realised it was going to launch the magic at her. She dived out of the way as the fireball shot past and turned to attack the monster, but it swirled back down into the tile. She raised her bow and nocked an arrow, waiting for the Wizzrobe to reappear.

Eventually it did, on the far side of the room, but it caught sight of her as she aimed at it, and disappeared back into the teleportation tile. Sighing in frustration, she waited, and soon she heard it behind her. This time she waited until it had raised its staff to attack before shooting it, and it yelled in pain before it vanished. Zelda repeated this twice more, whenever she saw the monster, but then it rose out of a tile and stopped. Suddenly it burst into two identical Wizzrobes. One stayed on the tile, but the other monster began to rush around from tile to tile at high speed. Without warning they both vanished, leaving Zelda confused.

Two tiles swirled with light, and two identical Wizzrobes rose from them. Zelda turned from one to the other, trying to work out which was the real monster, when she saw one of them raising its staff to attack her. She quickly shot it, causing both monsters to vanish. They quickly reappeared, and Zelda shot the one nearest to her. However, the arrow passed straight through the illusion, and a blast of icy fire from the other, real Wizzrobe knocked her to the ground. Her shield, still on her back, had protected her from the worst of the attack, but nevertheless she groaned as the cold burned across her body.

She slowly pushed herself to her feet, turning to face the monsters once more. This time when they reappeared she waited until she was sure she had the right one, then launched her arrow straight at the Wizzrobe's chest. It dropped its staff, the fire dying down, and vanished in a cloud of purple smoke. Zelda smiled in satisfaction, but didn't lower her bow until she was sure the monster was gone. A dust cloud appeared in the centre of the room, revealing a large treasure chest, and behind the chest was a flash of blue light, fading to reveal the beacon pillar. Zelda went over to that first, placing her palm on the glowing blue mark. Once again she saw a vision of the temple from above, and this time the top circle glowed blue as well. The sight was replaced with the large door at the entrance of the temple, and the top circle of the symbol there lit up as she watched.

 _Two down, one to go_ , Zelda thought. _Hopefully I don't have to fight another Wizzrobe or White Wolfos for the last one._ When her vision returned to the room she turned her attention to the large treasure chest. It sprang open at her touch, and she retrieved the treasure from inside. It was a bow, but shining gold. It was far more ornate than the one she currently held, but it was lighter and looked more powerful. Next to the bow in the chest was a quiver full of arrows, but instead of the normal metal they were tipped with the same golden material as the bow. They glowed slightly. Zelda switched the new bow with her old one, replacing that in the chest, and raised the new bow carefully. She nocked one of the shining arrows, and aimed at a spot on the far wall. As she did so, the arrow began to shine brightly, and when she released the bowstring the projectile left a trail of light in the air.

'That is the Bow of Light, a sacred weapon,' the voice in her head informed her. Zelda frowned; her mental companion was being surprisingly talkative. If the voice really did belong to a monster, she doubted it would be so helpful. Somewhat reassured, she shrugged, placed the Bow of Light on her back, and went through the door to the next room.

-o-

Her heart sank when she felt the cold breeze hit her as she opened the door, and she saw another icy pool ahead.

 _Brilliant_ , she thought. _Another chance to get frozen solid._ To make matters worse, she could already see groups of Keese clustered around the ceiling. Zelda narrowed her eyes, and raised her bow. The Light Arrow glowed, and when it hit one of the Keese the monster vanished in a flash of light, taking several surrounding monsters with it. Zelda hit the rest of the monsters, unwilling to give them a chance to knock her into the water.

When the room was clear she jumped onto the first iceberg, balancing carefully. She heard a splash from the water to her left and instinctively raised her shield as she turned. Her instincts prevented her from being thrown off the iceberg, as a ball of rock came hurtling towards her and bounced off her shield, flying back towards the monster which had fired it, which resembled a squid.

'An Octorok,' the voice told her. The rock killed the Octorok immediately, and it sank back down into the water. Zelda leapt quickly from one iceberg to the next, blocking attacks from more Octoroks which rose from the water as she passed. She jumped onto the final iceberg, and flailed her arms to stop herself from plunging into the pool. There was still a short distance to the other bank, too far to jump, but there was no iceberg. To make matters worse, another Octorok rose from the water directly in front of her, and prepared to spit out a rock. Zelda raised her shield while she looked around, wondering how to get across. She caught sight of something hanging from the ceiling above, and looking up she saw it was an icicle. It was cracked around the top, and hung precariously directly above the Octorok.

 _Hmm…_ she thought. She tilted her shield up, and when the Octorok spat its rock at her it bounced of her shield and up into the air, hitting the icicle on the cracked part. It splintered and hung there for a moment, then fell into the water. Zelda raised her arms to protect herself from the splash, and when she looked back there was purple smoke coiling around the icicle, the remains of the Octorok. Zelda leapt onto the top of the icicle, using it as a bridge to reach the other side, and went through the far door.

-o-

She recognised the next room from before: it had a spinning ice platform in the centre, and four unlit torches on platforms at the edge. However, unlike the earlier room there was no lit torch on the spinning platform. Zelda jumped onto it anyway, wondering how to light the torches with no source of fire. Suddenly purple smoke formed around the room, and Zelda heard the twittering of Keese. She raised her bow, ready to shoot them, but stopped when she saw them. Unlike the Keese from before, these ones were cloaked in icy fire.

Zelda switched back to a normal arrow, unsure what effect the light arrows would have on ice, and hit the nearest Keese. The monster was killed instantly, but Zelda's arrow went through and stuck in the ice wall behind, burning with the icy fire. This gave Zelda an idea: if she could send an arrow through one of the Ice Keese and hit the torch behind, it would light it. But this proved difficult, as the platform spun rapidly and the Keese refused to stay still. Every time one of them lined up with a torch and Zelda got ready to shoot, the platform would spin on and she would lose her opportunity.

She sighed in frustration, then had an idea. Waiting until the platform was in the right position, she leapt off it to the platform on the other side of the room, with a barred door. Once there it was much easier to hit the Keese, as she was no longer moving. She quickly lit the four torches from the monsters, and the bars over the door behind her lifted, allowing her to proceed to the next room.

-o-

Zelda walked cautiously into the room, seeing a deep pit ahead. She balanced carefully on the edge of the platform she was on and looked down, but she couldn't see the bottom. The room she was in was circular, so she guessed it was the last beacon room. Looking across the room she saw another platform with the short beacon pillar on it, glowing faintly blue, but she had no way to reach it, as the abyss blocked her path. She thought about using Farore's Wind to cross, but the spell only allowed her to go to places she had already been, so it wouldn't work as she had never set foot on the far platform.

She looked around the room, and something caught her eye: above her was a dark switch, set into the ice of the ceiling. She raised her bow and nocked a light arrow, hitting the switch. It lit up, and immediately a white cloud formed in front of Zelda, across the gap between the platforms. When it vanished it left behind a path of smooth ice, bridging the pit. But the bridge wove back and forth, curving sharply, and Zelda knew it would be difficult to navigate it without falling off. But it was the only way forward, so she hesitantly stepped out onto the ice. The path was very thin and she wondered if it would take her weight, but it seemed sturdy enough.

She set off, arms out for balance, and was halfway across when she heard a twittering sound that filled her heart with dread. Ice Keese appeared around the ceiling, watching their target with bright yellow eyes. Zelda thought quickly. She couldn't let a single one hit her: the impact and the pain would knock her from the bridge for sure. But if she swung her sword at them it would throw her off balance, having the same effect. She thought about her Bow of Light, but the Keese were too far apart. It would take too long to shoot each one individually.

As the first wave swooped low towards her an idea struck her, and she concentrated hard. A crystal of bright blue light surrounded her, and the Ice Keese bounced off harmlessly. Zelda smiled, but kept moving, unhindered as the spell protected her. It was unwise to use Din's Fire on a path made of ice, but Nayru's Love kept her safe just as well, and it sapped far less of her energy. Soon she made it, slipping and sliding, to the other platform, and let the blue crystal fade. The Keese took advantage of this to come flying at her again, but she was ready for them, slicing them apart with her sword.

When the room was empty once more she sighed in relief, and turned to the beacon. Placing her hand gently on the symbol of Nayru engraved there, she watched as the blue light flowed from the back of her hand to the pillar. For the final time, she saw the Temple of Wisdom from above, and the bottom left circle glowed bright blue. The rest of the temple complex lit up as well, and Zelda was nearly blinded by the light.

But in the centre circle, the one open to the sky, she again saw the gigantic statue she had seen when she approached the temple. The blue light glinted off it strangely, making it look as though it had glowing eyes. But then the temple was replaced with the large double doors at the entrance of the temple, and the whole symbol of Nayru glowed brightly. Zelda wondered if the doors would now open.

The vision faded, and Zelda was back in the final room. She looked around, wondering if she would have to backtrack through the whole temple to get back to the first room, but the white clouds billowed again. They formed another bridge, this time from the platform to the wall, and where the path met the side of the room the ice melted, forming an arched opening. Through it Zelda could see the entrance room again, and could just make out the blue glow from the boss door. She walked as quickly as she dared along the new path, and soon stood in front of the doors. They sprang open at her touch, and a faint light shone through from beyond. Taking a deep breath, she went through.

-o-

The doors slammed shut behind Zelda, but she barely noticed. She was too busy wondering at the vast arena at the centre of the temple. It was open to the sky, but the ground was covered in slick ice. It reflected everything perfectly, making Zelda feel like the clouds were below her. At the other end of the arena was the enormous ice statue she had seen earlier. Close to she could make out details: it was Hylianoid, in the shape of a man, standing in the middle of the temple and looking out into the distance. The temple around it shone with blue light, and again Zelda thought she could see glowing eyes. But she moved forward, making the light reflect off at a different angle, and the impression passed.

When she approached the centre of the arena, she suddenly stopped, the hairs on the back of her neck rising. She looked around, seeing nothing but flat ice. But her instincts told her that something wasn't right. She heard a crackling noise, and looked down at the ice in front of her. A pool of blackness was forming, and out of it rose a ball of dark magic, hovering in mid-air. Zelda watched it for a moment, wondering if anything else was going to happen, and when it didn't she pulled out her Bow of Light, ready to shoot the ball. Abruptly it rose high into the air then sped across the arena, smashing straight into the statue's chest. It passed cleanly through the ice as if it wasn't there, and came to rest inside.

For a moment nothing happened, then the statue's eyes turned black. It shifted, ice cracking off as it did so, and lowered its head, looking down at Zelda. It raised its arms as if stretching, then without warning it brought one of its fists down on the ice, making a booming sound that echoed around the mountains. The shock of the impact travelled to the edge of the arena, and walls of ice rose around it, sealing the ice sheet off from the rest of the temple. The walls kept climbing, meeting in the middle and covering the arena in an ice dome. Icicles formed high above, reflected in the ice below. Then the statue started walking towards Zelda.

Instinctively she began to run, but the lumbering boss was slow and far away from her. Instead, she stopped and watched its movements, wondering how best to defeat it. She was sure she had to destroy the core of dark magic, but it was protected inside the statue's chest, and she knew her arrows would not be able to pierce the thick ice. Her clawshots, made of sharp and tough metal, might be able to crack the ice, but the monster was far too tall. If the clawshots were to reach it, she needed to get closer.

As she was thinking about this, she became aware of a rushing sound. She looked down at the mirror of ice, and saw a white shape above her, getting rapidly larger. She rolled to one side just as a large, sharp icicle smashed into the ground where she had been seconds before. Mentally reprimanding herself for not paying attention, Zelda looked back at the statue. It was still a long way from her, but she was in range of its massive fists. Unfortunately, the dark core was still too far up to reach with her clawshots.

The boss raised a hand, and white mist swirled in it. Suddenly three enormous balls of ice surrounded her in a triangle. Zelda was unsure as to their purpose, but moved out from between them anyway. This proved to be a good idea, as moments later they exploded into the white mist, freezing everything between them. The statue bellowed high above her, and raised its fist, bringing it down hard on the ice. Zelda just managed to avoid it in time, but the act of bending over to smash its fist down had brought the statue's chest closer to the ground, within range of Zelda's clawshots. She raised one of them, but before she could shoot the statue straightened up.

Zelda sighed, frustrated, but looking down she caught sight of more falling icicles, dislodged by the boss' fist smash. While she dodged them she noticed the statue again raising a hand, and once more the ice balls surrounded her. But this time Zelda waited until the monster was bringing its fist down on the ice before moving, barely making it out of the triangle before the white mist formed and froze everything between the ice balls, including the statue's fist. It became stuck fast to the icy floor, unable to move.

This caused the boss to stay bending over, and Zelda took advantage of this to strike the statue's chest with both her clawshots, causing deep cracks to extend through the ice. With a great effort the boss broke free of the ice, spraying shards of it everywhere, and straightened up, although it bellowed in anger when it saw what Zelda had done. The noise caused more icicles to fall from the ceiling, and Zelda ran to one side to avoid them. The monster created the balls of ice yet again, and again Zelda waited, hoping the boss's fist would reach her before the white mist formed. Fortunately, her gambit succeeded, and again the statue was stuck to the ice while Zelda dodged out of the way.

She struck the boss' chest again with her clawshots, and when the second one hit the ice shattered completely, leaving the core of dark magic exposed. The statue straightened up and smashed both fists down on the ice in its rage, but Zelda ignored it, nocking her bow with a light arrow. She aimed carefully, and let the glowing weapon fly straight into the blackened core. It exploded into golden light, and gold cracks spread through the statue's body. It bellowed again, but there was nothing it could do as the light burned brighter and brighter, until suddenly the boss shattered into millions of tiny ice crystals.

Zelda let out a long sigh of relief as the dome of ice around the arena faded into white mist, but still watched the remains of the boss for movement carefully. But she saw none, and as she watched the ice at the centre of the arena glowed blue. It formed a circle, engraved with the symbol of Nayru. Zelda stood on it, wondering what to do. The circle pulsed faintly with blue light, but nothing else happened.

Suddenly there was a sound behind her of ice moving against ice, and she turned, dreading what she would see. The mound of ice that was the remains of the statue shifted slightly, as if something was trying to get out from beneath it. Zelda drew her sword, watching carefully. A translucent arm, made of smooth ice, thrust out from the top of the mound, and was followed by the rest of the monster's body. It was the statue from before, but much smaller, only slightly taller than Zelda. But this was little comfort as it put its hands together and white mist formed between them. When it faded, the boss was holding a long spear of ice, sharpened into a blade at either end. It spun this in its hands a few times, as if testing the balance, then charged at Zelda.

She just managed to block the attack, but the statue swung again with the other end of the spear. This form was much faster than the first form, and Zelda could barely keep up with the flurry of attacks. In between blocks she caught sight of the monster's chest, and saw that the dark core still burned within it. Evidently one hit from the light arrows hadn't been enough. Zelda missed a block and the blade sliced across her chest, making her gasp from the cold and the pain. She leapt back, trying to put some distance between her and her foe, but it caught up with her in a few strides.

She kept parrying its attacks as best she could, having no opportunity to counterattack as the statue swung its spear back and forth. Eventually she blocked the spear with her blade, hard, and one end broke off. The boss looked down in surprise, and backed off slightly. For a moment Zelda hoped she had weakened it enough to give her an advantage, but when the white cryogenic mist swirled around the broken spear she knew it would be mere seconds before the boss was back on the offensive.

She had to think quickly. Her bow and clawshots wouldn't be fast enough, and her sword clearly wasn't working. The only thing she had left was magic. But with the wound across her chest burning painfully, Zelda wasn't sure she had enough strength for a spell. But as the boss repaired its spear and started back towards her, she knew she had to try. She focused, and raised Din's Fire around her. But to her surprise the statue just leapt back, waiting for the wall of fire to die down. Zelda tried moving towards it, but the spell stayed in place. Frustrated, Zelda let the spell drop to conserve energy, and used the monster's temporary pause to gain some distance.

 _What do I do now?_ she thought frantically. _How do I beat this thing?_ The statue was catching up with her, quickly, and Zelda decided to give the magic one last try. She closed her eyes, trying to ignore the approaching boss, and summoned Din's Fire once more. But instead of pushing the magic outwards in a wall around her, she channelled it down her arm, into her sword. For a moment she felt the spell flicker, threatening to go out, but then it caught and she opened her eyes hesitantly. Her sword burned with Din's Fire.

The boss caught sight of the flaming sword and stopped, wary of the weapon. Zelda grinned, and leapt towards it. The statue attempted to block but the flames sliced through the spear easily. Zelda kept attacking, slashing the monster's chest, until the dark core was exposed. She stabbed it through, and the boss bellowed, but she didn't withdraw her sword. Finally, the blackness exploded around her blade and the statue exploded into white mist, truly defeated.

Zelda released the spell and let the fire fade from her sword, then collapsed onto the icy ground as the combined effect of the powerful magic and her injuries sapped the last of her strength. She lay back and closed her eyes, panting heavily. Suddenly there was a faint sound, and she saw a heart container fly out of the debris of the boss and land near her. She reached out a shaking hand to touch it, and to her immense relief felt her strength returning as the heart container healed her. When it was done she rose unsteadily to her feet, and looked around.

The blue glow from the circle at the centre of the arena reminded her of her true goal: the Triforce. She stood once more on the symbol of Nayru, and once more she wondered what to do. But as she stood there in silence she remembered something: an old song, the one she had sung in Skyloft, the same one her ancestor had sung. The Ballad of the Goddess. Zelda didn't know why she was remembering it now, but as she thought about the song the blue circle glowed slightly brighter. Hoping it was the right thing to do, Zelda gently retrieved the Goddess Harp from her pack and held it in front of her. The sunlight glinted off it, making it look as though it was giving off a soft golden glow. She closed her eyes, and began to sing.

The sound of the soft harp and the gentle tone of the lyrics took her back to her childhood, when her mother used to sing the song to her. The memories washed over Zelda, and she felt tears gathering at the corners of her eyes as she thought about her mother. But she forced herself to keep going, and soon her patience was rewarded. The symbol of Nayru below her feet glowed with bright blue light, and Zelda vanished into the glow.

-o-

When she opened her eyes, she found she was standing on a circular platform, hovering in mid-air over a deep pit. The room she was in was round, with six other platforms around the edge of the room, and a thin path joining each one to the central one Zelda stood on. The room was lit with golden light, making Zelda look up. Above her she saw a large window built into the ceiling, and beyond that was a cloudless twilight sky. She couldn't see the sun, but the sky itself seemed to give off a soft golden glow. Zelda looked around the room, then back up at the window, and nodded.

 _I'm in the Sacred Realm_ , she thought.

'Indeed,' the voice in her head answered, startling Zelda.

 _You've never spoken to me directly before,_ she noted. _Why now? Who are you?_ There was silence, but Zelda almost thought she could hear someone laughing at the edge of her hearing.

'So many questions,' the voice said, sounding amused. 'I am speaking to you now because you have need of my assistance. You have not needed me before. And if you are indeed as wise as I believe you are, you already know who I am.'

 _Nayru._

'Yes,' the voice responded.

 _Alright then. Help me_ , Zelda asked her mentally.

'Look around you,' the Goddess of Wisdom replied. Zelda obeyed, and saw that on each of the six platforms surrounding her was the symbol of the Triforce.

 _Ah_ , she thought. _So one of those will lead me to the Triforce of Wisdom. And the others, I assume, will lead to failure. So to pass the test all I need to do is find the right one._ There was silence, which Zelda took to mean she was right. She looked around, scrutinising each platform in turn. They all looked identical, but she knew there had to be some way of telling the true one from the others. Something caught her eye, and she looked up. Set into the ceiling above each platform were six stained-glass windows, each one bearing a different picture. A green fan, a blue snowflake, a red flame, an orange symbol of yin and yang, a purple triangle with three circles around it, and the last had three golden triangles in a circle, with three golden circles between them.

'Those are important symbols, tied to the gods of old,' Nayru informed her. 'They represent great powers, those of forest, water, fire, spirit, shadow and light. But which one represents my Wisdom?' Zelda looked at each one carefully, trying to work out the puzzle.

 _None of them_ , she realised suddenly. Nayru was silent. _So if the Triforce isn't any of those, that must mean it's…_ She looked down at her feet, at the platform she was standing on. Suddenly the bare stone glowed gold, and the symbol of the Triforce appeared. Zelda smiled and closed her eyes as the world faded to black. When she opened them she saw that she was still surrounded by darkness, but standing in front of her was a beautiful golden woman, with bright blue eyes. Zelda recognised her immediately and knelt down, to the amusement of the goddess.

'There is no need for that, Zelda. Such respect is hardly necessary, from one goddess to another.' Zelda gasped as Nayru reminded her of her ancestry. True, Zelda was a direct descendant of the goddess Hylia, but the sacred blood had been much diminished in the millennia since Zelda's ancestor had first taken on Hylian form, and Zelda didn't think of herself as in any way god-like. But she supposed the Goddess of Wisdom in front of her saw only the truth, not the truth Zelda made herself believe.

'I'm no goddess,' she said with a slight laugh. Nayru smiled at her.

'That is as may be, but you have proven yourself worthy of the Triforce of Wisdom.' Zelda looked up, excited.

'Really?' Nayru laughed.

'Yes. Hold out your hands.' Zelda obeyed, and watched as Nayru did the same, the golden triangle of the Triforce of Wisdom forming above her arms. It floated over to Zelda's hands, and disappeared with a flash. Zelda examined her left hand, and saw that her Mark of Nayru had been replaced with the symbol of the Triforce, with the bottom left triangle glowing slightly brighter than the others, signifying wisdom.

'Thank you,' Zelda told her. Nayru nodded in response.

'I will help you as much as I can on your quest, but my powers to interfere with mortal affairs are very limited. But your own Wisdom will stand you in good stead, and it will guide you to use the powers of the Triforce wisely and for the greater good.' Zelda nodded.

'I will try,' she told Nayru. The Goddess of Wisdom placed her hands together, and the darkness around Zelda vanished. When her vision returned she saw she was standing at the foothills of the Eldin Mountains, with the icy eastern peaks a glimmer in the distance. She looked down at the symbol on her hand and smiled.

-o-

A/N: Phew, done! As I said (much) earlier, tomorrow's chapter should be better!


	21. Chapter 21: An Interesting Encounter

A/N: As promised, a fun chapter! Hope you like it!

-o-

Epona raced across the green expanse of Hyrule Field, carrying her master towards Hyrule Town. Link's first intention had been to hurry to the Eldin Mountains, to meet with the Fire Dragon and Zelda. But he remembered his promise to Shalina, and decided to visit Quin before he set off for the north. Dark clouds gathered overhead and thunder rippled across the sky as Link urged his horse on, struggling to cover the distance before the storm broke. The first heavy drops of rain ran down his neck just as he entered the town, and by the time he reached Charenn's inn the heavens had opened, making every gutter a waterfall and every street a raging river. Link hurried into the bar, grateful for the warmth.

'Link! We were wondering when you would drop by!' Charenn's voice rang out across the room. 'Din, you look like a drowned rat! And where's Zelda?' Link sat down by the fire and explained their quest to Charenn. By the time he had finished she had come over and sat next to him, and uncharacteristically serious expression on her face. 'That sounds serious. I do hope Zelda's all right.'

'So do I!' Link replied.

'But if this is so important, why did you come to Hyrule Town? You know I love seeing your bright face around here, but catching up with friends can wait, surely.'

'Actually, I need to speak to Quin. You see, I met someone in the desert, and they asked me to deliver a message to her.' Charenn raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Link wondered if she could tell that he was being deliberately evasive, but if she could she gave no sign. He had decided not to spread the news of Quin's mother, reasoning that that was Quin's job, if she chose to tell people. Link wasn't sure she would; despite his assurances to Shalina, he wasn't at all sure how Quin would react. But just then the girl herself came down the stairs, hearing her friend downstairs.

'Link! You're here!' she yelled, wrapping him in a tight hug. Link patted her on the back awkwardly, struggling to breathe.

'Um… hi, Quin. I need to talk to you about something.' Charenn heard his unspoken plea and cleared her throat.

'I'm going upstairs. Call me if you need anything.' Link smiled his thanks at her as she left, leaving him and Quin alone in the room. Quin frowned suspiciously.

'What's going on? Why all the secrecy?'

'I need to tell you something, and I think it would be better if we did it in private.' She sighed theatrically.

'Link, if you're going to confess your love for me, there's something you should probably know first.' Link laughed at this. He had forgotten how much he missed Quin. But he soon grew serious again.

'Quin… have you heard about the Gerudo?' She thought for a moment, then shook her head.

'Well, they're a tribe – an all-female tribe – who live in the desert. I met them when I went there.'

'That's nice…' Quin said, unsure what his point was. 'So you met a tribe of, I'm assuming beautiful, women. Is that why Charenn couldn't be here?'

'No, there's something else. You see, they all kind of look like you. And before you ask, no, that's not a coincidence. I met their leader, Shalina, and she told me an interesting story, about how she fell in love with a man from Faron Woods. But he betrayed her and stole their infant daughter.' Quin raised her hand to stop him.

'I can see where you're going with this,' she said quietly. 'You're about to say that I'm this Shalina woman's long-lost daughter, aren't you?' Link nodded. 'Okay…' Quin said slowly, trying to accept what Link was telling her. 'So the woman I thought was my mother isn't my mother. And the man I thought was my father is my father, but he's also a total bastard.' Link laughed.

'Yes, pretty much.'

'Okay. So what now?'

'She wants to meet you. Shalina, I mean. The Gerudo live really deep in the desert and it's really hard to get there, so it would be a difficult, not to mention extremely dangerous, journey, but-' Again Quin stopped him.

'Link. I have a mother. A woman who presumably thought I was as good as dead for the last seventeen years. And now she wants to meet me. Do you really think I won't move heaven and earth to go see her?' Link smiled.

'I hoped you'd say that. She hoped so, too.'

'So what's she like?'

'Well, she's an older version of you really. All the Gerudo are. You know, when I first met them, I had to fight them before they would help me, just because I was a man!'

'No, really? They sound like my kind of people!'

'Yes, they…'

-o-

Link spent the next hour telling Quin everything he had learnt about the Gerudo, and she listened eagerly. But eventually the door of the bar opened, and a rain-soaked Cariad walked in.

'Link! What are you doing here?' the younger girl asked. Link smiled as he greeted her, but to his surprise Quin made no move towards her girlfriend.

'Everything all right?' he asked. Quin shook herself out of her daze, and nodded.

'Yes, fine. Cari, I'll be up in a minute. I just need to finish things off with Link. Your mother's already up there.' Cariad nodded happily and went upstairs. Link waited until she was out of earshot before turning back to his friend.

'What was all that about?' he asked curiously. Quin sighed.

'I just realised. When I go to the desert, I'll have to leave her.' Link understood, but didn't see why Quin looked so disheartened.

'It won't be for long. And anyway, she can go with you. Shalina said she wanted to meet your girlfriend.'

'No, she can't come with me, Link! You said yourself, it's dangerous. I'm willing to risk _my_ life to meet _my_ mother, but I'm not putting Cari's neck on the line for that. I have to do this alone, but she'll never accept that. How am I going to tell her about this?' She put her head in her hands. Link sat down next to her and patted her on the shoulder.

'I'm sure she'll understand. After all, she only met her real mother recently. She knows how it feels. And if she loves you as much as I think she does, she'll have no problem waiting for you to come back.'

'And if I don't?' Quin asked. Link stopped. He hadn't considered that, but of course there was a real chance Quin would die in the desert. Suddenly Link wasn't sure he wanted his friend to do this.

'…I don't know.' They sat in silence for a long time, staring into the fire. After a while the door leading upstairs opened again, and Charenn poked her head round it.

'Can we come out yet?' she asked with a grin. Link smiled at her, but Quin stayed where she was, looking into the distance. Link looked at her, and sighed.

'Quin… I know this is difficult for you. But, if you do decide to go, you should take this.' He rummaged in his pack and brought out the map of the desert Abalos had given him. Quin took it without a word. Link sighed again, then went over to the barwoman. 'Charenn, I just told Quin something important. And, she's not going to want to talk about it. But she has a difficult choice to make, and she needs someone to help her with that.' Charenn winked.

'Got it.' The older woman sat down next to Quin, and the two started talking. Link smiled grimly, hoping Quin would be alright. As much as he wanted Quin and her mother to be reunited, the journey was dangerous, and it sounded like Quin would have to choose between her mother and her girlfriend. Link didn't envy her, although seeing as though he had neither a mother nor a girlfriend, he could hardly put himself in her position. Silently, he left them to it and slipped out of the bar to the downpour outside.

-o-

A/N: Me again. Sorry to interrupt. The next three paragraphs were originally meant to be in a separate chapter of their own, but I decided to pop them in here instead since they're so short. They're a side note told from Quin's P.O.V., and they take place over the night Link talks to her and the next morning. After this interlude, the narrative goes back to that night. Sorry if it's confusing. If you don't care about Quin or you just don't want to read it, skip the next three paragraphs.

-o-

Quin looked up from her steady gaze into the fire as Charenn sat down next to her. Over the older woman's shoulder she saw Link give her one last smile before disappearing back outside. Sighing, she turned to face Charenn.

'Quin dearie, Link said you were having a bit of trouble.' Quin bit her lip for a moment, wondering what to say, but decided to tell the barwoman the truth. After all, Charenn was a mother, and one who had lost her daughter until recently. If anyone could help her understand the situation, it was Charenn.

'Well, when Link was in the desert, he met these people called the Gerudo…' She explained everything to the barwoman, who didn't interrupt once. When she was done, Charenn asked her,

'Alright, so what's the problem?'

'The problem is Cariad. She definitely can't come with me, it's too dangerous. But if I leave her here, and then I die out there, she's going to be distraught. What do I do? I can't not meet my mother.' Charenn was silent for a while, watching the flickering flames.

'I don't know,' she said at last.

'I think I do,' Quin said slowly. 'I have to break up with her. That's the only way. She won't like it, but that way I can just tell her I'm leaving her and going back to the forest instead. She doesn't need to know I'm risking my life in the desert. That way, if I don't come back, she never needs to know I'm dead. She can just believe I've met someone else.' Charenn frowned.

'Don't you think that's a bit drastic? You might still come back, you know.'

'Yes, and if I do I can explain everything to her and hope she'll take me back.'

'But still. She'll be so miserable if she thinks you don't love her anymore. Is it really fair to do that to her?'

'More miserable than if I die? No, it's not fair to do that to her. But it's not fair that I was taken from my mother at birth, either. I'm sorry, Charenn. You know I don't want to hurt your daughter. But this really is the only way.' Charenn sighed deeply, and Quin thought she was thinking up another argument. But what she said next surprised the younger girl.

'Do you want me to tell her for you?'

'You'd really do that? Why?' Charenn shrugged.

'She might take it better coming from me. And it'll save you two having a massive fight.' Quin hugged her.

'Thank you. I really appreciate that. I don't want the last thing I ever say to Cari to be an argument.' Charenn smiled.

'Fair enough. Now go get some rest. You should leave in the morning, and you need your sleep. And enjoy your last night with your girlfriend.' Quin thanked her, and ran upstairs.

-o-

The room she shared with Cariad was silent and dark when she went in, and a lump on the other bed told her the other girl was already asleep. Quin slipped into her own bed as quietly as she could, facing away from her girlfriend. The thought of leaving her, possibly forever, in the morning made Quin's heart feel like it was full of knives, but she knew she had to do this. She had to find her mother. After a few minutes she heard footsteps on the other side of the room, and someone slid into bed next to her.

'Quin? Are you awake?'

'I am now,' she replied with a laugh. 'What's going on?'

'I don't know why, but I just feel lonely tonight. Mind if we share a bed?'

'Sure,' Quin said, wrapping her arms round Cariad. The other girl was asleep within minutes, but Quin wasn't tired. She would miss her girlfriend's warm touch, miss the closeness they had. 'I love you so much,' she whispered into the darkness, kissing the top of Cariad's head. 'I'll come back. I promise.' But her heart ached from the lie.

-o-

The next morning Quin rose before dawn, relieved to see that Cariad was still fast asleep. She crept downstairs to the bar, where Charenn was already up and talking to Mylin, who had apparently arrived sometime the night before.

'Ah, there you are, dear,' Charenn said. 'Mylin's going to fix you some breakfast, then you should go. Before Cariad wakes up.' Quin nodded, her throat tightening. She bolted down her food as quickly as she could, terrified of facing her girlfriend. Mylin had apparently been informed of the situation as she watched Quin with a sad smile. Charenn disappeared upstairs, presumably to wake her daughter, and Quin practically ran outside. She was just saddling up the horse Charenn had lent her when she heard a shout from the door.

'Quin! Wait!' Quin's heart sank. It was Cariad.

'Cari…' she began, but the other girl shushed her.

'It's okay. My mother explained everything to me. I'm coming with you!' Quin's eyes widened as she looked back at Charenn, smiling at her from the doorway.

'You weren't supposed to do that!' she said accusingly. The barwoman shrugged.

'Sorry, dear. But as much as I love you, I'm not keeping secrets from my daughter. And anyway, it works out well this way. You can meet your mother without losing your girlfriend. Everyone wins.'

'Yes, except if she gets killed! Cari, it's way too dangerous,' she said, turning to address the other girl. Cariad shrugged.

'I don't care. If you're going, I'm going.'

'What kind of logic is that?'

'The "I love you and I'm not letting you do something this stupid by yourself" logic,' Cariad said, coming over and kissing Quin. The redhead turned back to Charenn in desperation.

'How could you make your own daughter do this?'

'I didn't make her. It was her idea!'

'It was,' Cariad agreed. 'Look, your mother is going to be an important part of your life. And, I want to be an important part of your life too.'

'You are, but-'

'Sh!' Cariad said, cutting Quin off. The uncharacteristic assertiveness alone was enough to silence Quin. 'I'm coming with you whatever you say, so you may as well be happy about it.' Quin sighed, but smiled.

'Fine. We'd better get going, then.' Cariad squeaked with excitement, ran back to hug her mother one last time, then climbed up onto the horse. Quin followed, and the younger girl held on tightly as Quin led the horse out of Hyrule Town towards the desert. Charenn watched them until they were out of sight, unable to keep herself from feeling a twinge of worry.

'They'll be fine,' Mylin reassured her.

'I know,' Charenn replied.

'Then why look like that?' Charenn sighed.

'It's just… once Quin meets her mother, she might not want to come back. And if she stays, Cariad will too. I'm just wondering if I've said goodbye to my daughter for the last time.' Mylin shook her head and laughed.

'Since when are you so soft? You see the determination Quin feels to be with her mother? Cariad feels that too, to be with you. They'll be fine. We all will.'

-o-

A/N: Right, back to the main story! We're still on the same night as before.

-o-

Link sighed as he saw the sheet of water pouring off the roof onto the cobbles. Epona was standing under cover, unconcernedly eating hay, but she looked up when her master approached.

'Fancy riding to the mountains?' he asked her brightly. Epona snorted indignantly and went back to eating. 'Yeah… me neither,' Link said. He sighed again, wondering what to do. He had to get to the mountains soon, so he could meet up with Zelda, but in weather like this she was likely to have taken cover as well. And anyway, Link had no idea if she had completed her temple and found her piece of the Triforce yet; if she hadn't, there was no point in him rushing off to meet Eldin without her. He was just contemplating staying the night at the inn when a cloaked figure appeared in the courtyard. It looked around and, catching sight of him, hurried over.

'Link! You're really here!' Link gasped as he recognised the voice, and saw purple hair under the hood.

'Hyra! I mean, Your Highness. What are you doing out of the castle in this weather?'

'I came to find you. Impa mentioned seeing you earlier in the street, and I thought I would come and see you. Do you want to stay in the castle for the night?' Link was startled by the suddenness of her offer, but he was flattered. He also had a vague sense that one did not refuse things from royalty.

'Um… Sure,' he said, trying not to show his surprise. Hyra smiled at him, then produced another cloak from beneath her own.

'For the rain,' she explained. Link gratefully covered himself with it, then followed Hyra back through the deserted streets to Hyrule Castle. Once inside he gratefully removed his cloak, then stared as Hyra did the same. She was wearing a beautiful dress, made of some silken material with gold decoration. But Link couldn't help but notice that the neckline of the dress was rather low. He looked away quickly, blushing. He was sure that it wasn't the Princess' intention to embarrass him, but that was certainly the effect it had. He remembered the time he had nearly seen Zelda naked, and forced himself to shut out the thoughts.

'Link? Are you alright?' Hyra asked, sounding concerned.

'I'm fine,' Link managed, keeping his eyes firmly on Hyra's face.

'My rooms are this way,' Hyra informed him, leading him through a door. Link frowned, wondering where Hyra was going with this, in both the physical and metaphorical sense. The only other times he had been in Hyra's private chambers were when he had been fighting Casineb in the Princess' body, and he hardly thought that qualified as intimate. Nevertheless, a small and rarely-used part at the back of Link's brain started to flicker into life, taking note of the low-cut dress, the invitation to her room, and further back, Hyra's behaviour when they had reasearched together in the library. It came to a conclusion, and tried desperately to get the attention of the rest of Link's brain.

 _You're being flirted with_ , it informed him. Link stopped dead in the corridor as he realised. _She's flirting with me. Why would she do that? What's going on? What do I do?_ For all that Link was the Legendary Hero and bearer of the Triforce of Courage, beneath the mysticism was the brain of a teenage boy, a brain which had just become aware that a rather attractive girl was interested in him. Link took a few deep breaths, trying to regain control of the situation. _I can do this. I'm sure she's just being nice_ , he told himself. Hyra had reached the other end of the corridor, and looked back at him.

'Coming, Link?' she asked, and Link was sure he could make out a sly smile on her face.

'Of course!' he replied, trying to calm the yelling voices in his head. Above all he tried to drown out the voice which, if it had been a person, would be winking at him.

-o-

Soon, much sooner than Link would have liked, they had reached the door to Hyra's room. She looked around before entering, pulling Link in after her.

'What was that for?' he asked, curious as to why a princess had to be so secretive in her own castle.

'Oh, just a precaution,' she replied. 'If the guards see me sneaking a man in here, there'll be talk.'

'Talk? About what?' Link asked. Hyra laughed lightly, apparently assuming that Link was joking, but he genuinely had no idea. But then the new part of his brain, getting the most use it'd had in years, reminded him of when Zelda had told him what the people in the bar thought he and her were doing in their bedroom. His cheeks flushed bright red again, wondering if that was what Hyra was implying.

 _Surely not_ , he told himself. _I mean, she's a princess! How could she... Surely not!_ She grabbed his hand and pulled him across the room to a door. Realising it was her bedroom, Link tried to resist, but the princess was insistent.

'Come on! I've got something to show you!' she told him.

 _I'm sure she does_ , his brain commented. Link tried to ignore it. The worst part was, he couldn't tell if he hated what was going on or loved it. He was torn between running out of the castle or obeying Hyra, but as she pulled him into her bedroom he gave up. Fortunately, she turned away from the bed and instead led him over to a cloth-covered shape leaning against the wall. Link was instantly on guard, remembering Casineb's mirror. But Hyra anticipated his alarm, and smiled.

'No, don't worry, I'm not possessed by another demon. This is something I wanted to show you.' She moved away from Link and pulled the cloth off the shape in one swift movement. Beneath it was a painting, half-completed, showing a crowned Hyra against a backdrop of Hyrule Field.

'That's amazing! Who did it?' he asked.

'The royal artist. The Royal Council commissioned it just after you freed me from Casineb, to commemorate my "return to health", as they called it.'

'It's beautiful,' Link said, lost in the skill of the drawing. It was an excellent likeness of Hyra, and Link could do nothing but stare, until a giggle from the Princess startled him.

'You like it?' He nodded, and she continued. 'I suppose it is pretty good. But it's a real bore to pose for. I have to stand there for hours while the artist goes on and on about how the light catches my nose hair or something.' Link laughed at this.

'Well, I think it's perfect.' This earned him another smile from Hyra, but then she sighed and looked back at the painting wistfully.

'You know, a painting like that isn't supposed to be of just one person. It's supposed to be of me and my husband. But then, I haven't got a husband yet. I just haven't found the right man.' She turned and stood directly in front of Link, smiling slightly. 'Or rather, I haven't married him yet.' The small part of Link's brain had become a howling siren by this point.

 _Abort!_ it yelled at him. _That was a definite hint! You're not ready for this! You need to be married for this sort of thing! You're too young! Oh, Farore, she's getting closer!_ Hyra was indeed getting closer, leaning towards Link, her eyes closed. As she approached however Link leant back, so the distance between their lips remained constant. After a few moments Hyra realised that she really should have found Link by now, and opened her eyes. She smiled mischievously at him, and placed a hand on the back of his head, pulling him closer. Link closed his eyes, unable to watch, as the new part of his brain admitted defeat and pulled the covers over its head.

'Hyra!' The Princess immediately released Link at the sound of the intruder's voice, and Link stepped away from her guiltily. He turned and saw Impa standing in the doorway, looking shocked. 'Oh, Your Majesty, I am so sorry. It was not my intention to interrupt.'

'Well, you have now,' Hyra replied, looking very annoyed. 'What is it?'

'A prisoner has escaped from the dungeons, milady. I thought you should be informed.'

'Oh. Well. Thank you,' Hyra said grudgingly, reluctantly accepting that Impa had a good excuse to interrupt. The Sheikah then turned to Link.

'It is good to see you again, my child. Will you be spending the night here in the castle?' Link nodded, and Hyra started to say something, but Impa beat her to it. 'Excellent. If you would like to follow me? The guards' barracks have very comfortable rooms, and I am sure you would not wish to trespass on Her Majesty's time any longer than necessary.' The old woman somehow managed to completely overrule Hyra's frantic interjection, while still keeping the same respectful tone. She gestured to the door and Link followed, looking back at Hyra as he went. But she had turned away in an indignant huff, and didn't see him.

-o-

As Link followed Impa out of the Princess' rooms, the small part of his brain cautiously poked its head out from under the covers, realised there were no women around (other than Impa who, it was decided, didn't count) and promptly went back into the same state it had spent the last seventeen years in: fast asleep.

'Um… back there… it wasn't what you think,' Link muttered, but Impa merely smiled.

'No, I am sure it was not. Her Majesty can be rather… eager at times, so I fully believe you had no part in what happened.' Link laughed. 'Eager' certainly described the princess very well.

'Thank you for rescuing me,' he said, and Impa laughed as well.

'Yes, I thought you might require assistance. But I was not lying about the barracks: if you want a room, you are very welcome to have one. Besides, I think Hyra would never forgive me if I let you out of the castle.' Link smiled, agreeing with her. But then he remembered something else Impa had said.

'You mentioned a prisoner escaping. Is everything alright?' Impa's expression grew grave.

'I would not say "alright", no. I believe you know of the prisoner in question: our former captain of the guard.' It took Link a moment to remember who she meant, but when he did his blood ran cold and he stopped dead.

'Branford! But… no, how could he have escaped? You have to find him, now, before he hurts anyone!'

'Relax, child,' Impa said with a placating gesture. 'Yes, that abomination of a man has escaped, but the full force of the Hyrulean soldiers is out looking for him. He has almost certainly left Hyrule Town, and he will not get much further than that, believe me.' Link started walking again, somewhat reassured, but he was still concerned.

'How did he get out? Did he have… help?'

'If you mean, was he assisted by the demon you slew, I believe so, but,' (as Link opened his mouth) 'do not worry. That demon is indeed dead. But Branford worked so closely with him that a fragment of the demon's power now rests in the mortal man. He is nothing like as strong as Casineb was, but he was strong enough to break out of the cell he was placed in to await trial.' Link sighed.

'Do not worry,' Impa repeated. 'The soldiers know what they are dealing with. Many of them served under him, and have witnessed his cruelty first-hand. He will be found, and he will be dealt with.' Link nodded, still not entirely reassured. He had enough to worry about with Demise already, and although Branford was hardly in the same league as the Demon King, he was still a problem. But as they reached Link's room in the barracks and he said goodbye to Impa, he decided that he would have to trust in the Hyrulean soldiers to find him.

-o-

That night, Link lay on his bed in the small room, gazing out the window. The pouring rain had ceased, giving way to a cloudless sky. The crescent moon illuminated the room, creating long shadows. Link tried to sleep, but he had too much to think about. He wondered where Zelda was at that moment, hoping she was alright. Hyra's… interest in him also bothered Link, especially as he wasn't sure if he even wanted to do anything about it. Most young men could only dream of having a beautiful princess fall in love with them, and yet he actually had one. But at the back of his mind, the new part of his brain woke up and nudged him.

 _What about Zelda?_ it asked. Link sighed. It was a good question: what about Zelda? Link knew that if it had been her trying to kiss him instead of Hyra he would not have resisted, but at the same time he knew that Zelda wanted to put off any notion of a relationship until after they defeated Demise. A large part of Link wondered if this was just an excuse, and Zelda was trying to tell him she wasn't interested. He shifted onto his back and looked up at the ceiling.

 _Girls_! he thought. When he first began his quest he thought the worst he would have to deal with was a few monsters, but now he was fighting dragons, searching for ancient artefacts and trying to defeat an evil Demon King. And girls. _Do they make it complicated on purpose?_ he wondered. _Is this some kind of game they all play, manipulating innocent boys and laughing at us? They can't really be making it this hard by accident._ He sighed again, and tried to think about something else. Unfortunately, one large something else immediately entered his mind. The news of Branford's escape was very worrying, and Link was not encouraged by the idea that the man might have some of Casineb's power.

Thinking about the demon reminded Link of Tam, but he forced the idea from his mind. He looked back out the window at the night sky, subconsciously searching for the bright green star. But it wasn't there. He sat bolt upright in bed and ran over to the window, looking all around, but for the first night since Tam had died, her glowing star was gone. Link frowned, and lay back down on the bed, wondering what it meant. He knew the star was most likely some astrological phenomenon rather than the soul of his friend, but the thought of the sprite hovering high up in the sky had comforted him. Now, he felt lost. He suddenly wondered if Zelda was looking up at the same sky, looking for the star and wondering where it was. He was still thinking about it when sleep finally overcame him.

-o-

The next morning a treeful of birds singing the dawn chorus right outside his window woke him. He lay there for a minute, wondering where he was, before he remembered the events of the night before. He gathered his equipment quickly and crept out into the corridor, trying not to wake anyone. He had decided to head to Eldin Mountains this morning, and the sooner he left the better.

He also knew that leaving this early meant there was a much smaller chance he would bump into Hyra, who he was keen to avoid. He needed to sort out where he stood in relation to the girls in his life before he saw her again. But suddenly he heard light footsteps coming down the corridor towards him. He looked around frantically, but there was nowhere to hide. Praying it wasn't Hyra, he stood his ground, fidgeting nervously. The source of the footsteps appeared, and to Link's immense relief it was Impa.

'You are indeed up early,' the old woman remarked. 'Most in the castle are asleep at this time, including Princess Hyra. But I assume you knew that already,' she finished with a smile. Link grinned ruefully, but Impa beckoned him. 'Come. I will lead you out of the castle.' As Link hurried along after her, he asked,

'Could you apologise to the princess for me? I would have stayed to say goodbye to her, but I really am in a hurry. The sooner we find the Triforce, the better.'

'Yes, I will tell her. I warn you though, she will not be pleased.' Link sighed.

'Yes, I know.' They continued in silence for a while, as Link was wrapped up in his own thoughts. Impa noticed.

'What is the matter, child?'

'Oh, it's nothing. It's just… between Hyra and Zelda, I'm not really sure where I stand anymore. Do you have any suggestions?' Impa shrugged.

'How could I help you choose between them? If I told you to pursue Zelda, I would be betraying the girl I have come to look upon as a daughter of sorts. But if I told you to give in to Hyra, I would break the bond I forged so long ago between Hylia and myself.' Link frowned.

'Wait, you mean Zelda would be upset if I kissed Hyra?' Impa looked at Link in surprise.

'You do not think so?'

'Well, I guess she would be, a bit. But she doesn't like me like that, I'm sure of it.' Impa laughed softly to herself.

'My child, you have much to learn of the ways of women.'

 _You can say that again_ , Link thought grimly, but Impa wasn't finished.

'When a woman acts as though she could not care less about you, that can mean one of two things. Either she really is not interested, or she is so in love that the only way she can hide the strength of her emotion is by denying it altogether.'

'And how do I work out which is which?' Link asked, making Impa laugh again.

'Ah, that is a question asked by generation upon generation of men. Link, when you learn to look past what a woman says and does and know what she really means, then you will have found the secret of life itself.'

'Any chance you could tell me that secret?' Link asked, although he wasn't hopeful. His pessimism was rewarded.

'I know the secret, but I cannot tell you. That would be going against the sacred rule learned by all women at birth, that above all our purpose in life is to complicate that life for all men.' She laughed again, and Link sighed. He wasn't entirely sure Impa was joking; her description did sound an awful lot like what the women in his life did to him. But soon they had reached the entrance to Hyrule Castle, and Impa grew serious once again.

'Link, I wish you the very best of luck on your quest. I will pray for you. As, I am sure, will Hyra.' Link smiled, thanked her, then left the castle. Once outside he summoned Epona with Mara's flute, and rode off towards the Eldin Mountains.

-o-

The sun was just above the horizon by the time he reached the foothills of the mountains. Leaving Epona to roam free on Hyrule Field, he started up the path that would take him through the Goron Village to the volcano, where he could find Eldin. Soon he felt the ground shaking, and at first he thought the volcano was erupting again, but as he saw several balls of rock rolling down the slope towards him he remembered the local inhabitants. The Gorons formed a ring around him and for a moment Link wondered if they would attack him like they had the first time, but he was a part of their tribe now, and when they straightened up they had only smiles on their faces.

'Brother Link! You have returned!' their gravely voices ground out. Link laughed, wondering why wherever he went, everyone was always so happy to see him. The Gorons escorted him up the slope to their village, talking to him as they went. Link nodded, and added in the occasional, 'I see,' or, 'That's interesting,' even though it almost certainly wasn't; he just didn't want to admit that he didn't have a clue what they were saying. With several walking rocks talking at once he didn't understand a word.

But soon they reached the village, and more Gorons of all shapes and sizes crowded round Link, some of the smaller ones (children, Link assumed, although it was impossible to tell a Goron's age without specialist equipment) reaching up to take his hands. He quickly made his excuses and hurried over to Darion's cave before the crowd of Gorons got any thicker. To his surprise the Goron Elder was not in his home, so Link went through the opening at the back which led up to the volcano. Darion was standing outside, watching something in the distance, and Link had to hit him on the shoulder quite hard before the Goron noticed him.

'Ah! Link! You're here!' the Goron said happily while Link rubbed his hand, already bruising from hitting the stony Goron.

'I came to see Eldin. Is he in the volcano?'

'Yes, he should be there. Your friend just went by here to see him.' Link immediately perked up, injured hand forgotten.

'Friend? You mean Zelda?'

'The female Hylian, yes. You can see her from here, look.' Darion pointed up the path to what he had been looking at before Link arrived, and the Hylian could just make out a distant figure with golden hair. At the sight of his friend he set off, running up the path, shouting his thanks back to the Goron Elder as he went. As he got nearer he yelled out to his friend and she stopped, the confusion on her face turning to joy as she saw who it was.

'Link! You made it!' She enveloped him in a warm hug when he reached her, and they stood there for a moment, each enjoying the other's company. It had only been two days since they had parted, but it felt like longer. 'Link, your shield! It's new!' Link nodded and showed Zelda the Mirror Shield, admiring her Bow of Light in return. Then their attention turned to the marks on the backs of their hands.

'I still can't believe we have parts of the Triforce,' Zelda said, and Link nodded. It felt like some strange dream, that the humble forest boy could become a hero. But he forced himself to accept the reality. 'We should get to Eldin,' he said, reminding them both that they still had a long and arduous task ahead of them, that of finding the Triforce of Power. Turning towards the imposing mountain ahead of them, they once again entered the volcano.

-o-

The intense heat blasted them as they stepped inside, but the volcano seemed to have calmed down considerably since their last visit. A new bridge had been formed across the lava pool in the entrance room, and they crossed it to go through the boss door on the other side. The boss room was the same as Link remembered it, with a grating floor above a pool of lava, and several large holes in the floor. The largest of these was the hole Eldin had made when he crashed through the floor to escape, and Link went over to it, peering down into the lava. For a moment he saw nothing but the boiling pool, then a large red shape filled his vision. He stepped back just in time as Eldin rose through the hole, hovering above the Hylians.

'Ah, it's you two. You took your time getting here.' Link frowned.

'You know why we're here, then?'

'Of course! Faron and Lanayru told me you would come to ask me about the Triforce of Power as soon as you found the other two parts. Er… you did find them, didn't you?' Link and Zelda raised their hands bearing the triangle marks as proof. 'Good! Then I assume you know how this works by now. You will face a trial, and if you pass you will find the location of the Triforce of Power. Now then, shall we start?' Link was surprised by the dragon's speed, but he supposed it was important to find the Triforce as soon as possible. He shuddered as he remembered Faron's warning, that Demise would also be looking for the Triforce. Link assumed the Demon King had some other method of locating it than passing the trials. For a moment, he wondered if Demise had already found the final piece, but he thrust the thought from his mind.

He looked over at Zelda, then nodded. Eldin rose higher into the air, then flew up, out of the top of the volcano. A bolt of red light shot from the sky and passed through the hole to the lava below. Link peered down at it. The pool of lava had become mirror-like, like the other trial entrances, but he wasn't convinced. Before, he had been jumping into water. Now, trial or not, he was jumping into lava. Zelda saw him hesitating, and sighed.

'Link, I trust Eldin on this.'

'I do too, but that's lava! Like, really, really hot stuff! If the Fire Dragon's wrong, we'll die.'

'Do you have a better idea?'

'I thought not jumping into the pool of death was a better idea.' Zelda sighed in frustration.

'Fine. Be a Cucco. I'll just have to do this by myself, then.' Without another word she jumped into the hole and vanished into the silvery surface below. Link sighed, but reluctantly followed her.

-o-

A/N: Thanks for putting up with all the weirdness in this chapter. And what do you think of Hyra? It's going to complicate things for the Link x Zelda relationship!


	22. Chapter 22: Romance in the Sky

A/N: I'm quite excited for this chapter. Without wanting to spoil it, something good happens. Refer to chapter title for details.

-o-

He felt himself slowing down immediately when he hit the surface of the trial entrance. The silvery mist floated around him, and suddenly he fell through it, falling hard onto the ground. He got quickly to his feet, looking around. To his relief he saw Zelda a few feet away, and she looked unhurt. Link turned to survey the location of the trial, and for a moment he didn't recognise it. But then, seeing a shining white temple behind him, he realised.

'We're in the Sealed Grounds!' he said, and Zelda nodded.

'Yes, but it's not the Sealed Grounds we know. Look, the Sealed Temple looks much newer than it does in our time, or even the Hero's time.'

'What do you mean?' Zelda looked around, then pointed behind them, to a large spiral pit.

'Look at that! In our time, that pit was filled by the Goddess Statue, placed there when the Hero destroyed Demise. But in whatever time we're in now, the pit hasn't been filled yet. That means the Hero hasn't beaten Demise yet.' Link's blood ran cold.

'You mean… do you think that's the trial? We have to fight him?' Zelda shook her head.

'No, the trial is a battle the Hero fought through, and he didn't fight Demise like this. Judging by the state of the temple, I'd say we're in the past. And I mean, a long way in the past, back at the time when Hylia had just sealed Demise the first time. The Hero of the Skies won't be born for thousands of years.'

'So what did he fight here?' Link asked, but Zelda shook her head.

'I… can't remember. In his own time, he fought an initial form of Demise called the Imprisoned, but I can't remember what battles he had in the past, other than his final fight against Demise.' Suddenly Eldin's voice spoke out of the air.

'Hylians. You have made it to the trial. This battle was one of the last facing the Hero before he confronted Demise, and so it was one of his most difficult. Look at the bottom of the pit.' Link and Zelda obeyed, and saw a stone spike floating above the ground, giving off dark mist. 'That is the Sealing Spike, and it keeps in check a great evil. You must make your way down to it, and seal the evil in with a Skyward Strike before it escapes.' Link nodded, and was about to leap off the path when a golden barrier appeared, running all the way along the edge of the spiral path to the bottom. Another golden barrier materialised behind the heroes, sealing them in.

'Beware,' was Eldin's final advice before his presence faded. Link looked around, then started down the slope. He didn't see what was so hard about this trial; surely, if he could reach to bottom of the pit before the evil contained by the Sealing Spike escaped, he would pass. Zelda followed him, but more hesitantly.

'Come on,' Link told her. 'We've got to get down there!'

'Something's wrong, Link,' she said, looking around. 'This is too easy.'

'Yes, so let's make the most of it while it lasts,' Link said, sprinting down the slope. But suddenly the spike at the bottom of the pit gave off a huge cloud of darkness, making Link stop dead. The cloud floated upwards, coming to rest over the path in front of Link. It vanished abruptly, leaving behind a horde of Bokoblins. Another golden barrier appeared behind the monsters, blocking Link's way forward. He sighed and drew his sword, knowing he would have to fight his way through the Bokoblins to proceed.

He dived into the mass of monsters, launching attacks on all sides as they rushed at him. A few spin attacks later the crowd had thinned considerably, but there were more Bokoblins running towards him, swords raised. Suddenly one of the nearest monsters exploded in a flash of light, taking several others with it. Link looked around in confusion and saw Zelda raising her Bow of Light, hitting another of the monsters. He smiled at her, then went back to clearing a path through the horde.

Soon there were no more Bokoblins left standing, and the golden barrier ahead vanished. Link and Zelda ran on, but more Bokoblins quickly appeared, running towards them. Link dodged them easily, but to his surprise he saw that some of the monsters carried bombs, which they hurled at him as he passed. He responded by throwing two of his own back at them, clearing their pursuers. Suddenly another golden barrier appeared, and more Bokoblins materialised around the Hylians, some carrying bombs. The dark cloud hadn't quite cleared, however, and when it did it left three huge Bokoblins, carrying thick wooden shields and long spears.

'Those are Moblins!' Zelda shouted over the battle-cries of the monsters. Link nodded.

'Right! You take care of this lot, I'll deal with the Moblins.' Zelda nodded and launched a spin attack, taking out a wave of monsters. Link rushed towards the nearest Moblin as it raised its shield protectively, but he leapt over it, landing behind the Moblin. He quickly slashed away at the monster's back, until it eventually fell forward. Link moved on to the next monster, while Zelda finished taking out the Bokoblins and moved towards the final Moblin. Soon the monsters were dispatched and the barrier disappeared, leaving the Hylians free to continue down the slope.

More Bokoblins appeared, some carrying bombs and some shooting arrows, which Link easily deflected with his Mirror Shield. They were about halfway down the path when yet another barrier appeared in front of them, along with many more Bokoblins. Link and Zelda quickly got to work, taking out wave after wave of monsters, and through a gap in the throng Link caught sight of a dark blue Bokoblin, running away from the others. Unlike its friends it had no weapon of any sort, and instead carried a small horn. Link was confused by its cowardice, but put it down as a minor threat. One more side slash cleared the last of the Bokoblins, but Link frowned when the golden barrier didn't vanish. Suddenly he heard a melodious noise from behind him, and saw the dark blue Bokoblin blowing its horn. Another dark cloud formed around Link, leaving behind many more Bokoblins.

'We've got to get rid of that blue monster!' he yelled at Zelda as they both slashed at the monsters. 'Otherwise every time we clear the other monsters it'll just summon more!'

'Get after it, then! I'll handle this lot,' Zelda told him, and Link nodded to her before ducking under a Bokoblin's blade, slashing at it as he went, and running after the blue Bokoblin. But it was very fast, even along the steep uphill slope, and Link quickly realised that he wouldn't be able to reach it with his sword. He pulled out his bow, taking careful aim, when a cry from a Bokoblin behind him made him turn. He quickly shot three arrows into the nearest assailants, then turned and smoothly shot the blue Bokoblin just as it raised its horn to its lips. A few strangled notes rang out, but fortunately it wasn't enough to summon more monsters. Link sighed in relief and turned back to help Zelda dispatch the last few red Bokoblins. This was enough to make the barrier dissipate, and the Hylians raced down the slope, past more angry monsters, hoping to reach the bottom before another golden barrier penned them in.

Unfortunately, the Goddesses were not on their side, as another barrier soon appeared. Instantly the dark clouds descended and surrounded Link and Zelda with Bokoblins, carrying bombs, bows and swords, and through the throng Link could make out the hulking shapes of several Moblins. Luckily it looked as though there were no more dark blue Bokoblins, and the thought spurred Link on as he slashed through the monsters. A glowing projectile hurtled past Link, and one of the largest Moblins bellowed as it was struck with a light arrow. The light engulfed several Bokoblins as well, creating a clearing which was quickly filled with more monsters. Link felt his arm becoming tired as he continued to slash away, but he forced himself to keep going.

 _There can't be many more now_ , he thought. And he was right. Finally he and Zelda managed to clear the crowd of Bokoblins. But still the barrier stayed. Link frowned, when suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck rose. Instinctively he leapt to the side, just as a large sword swooshed through the air and bit into the ground where he had been standing moments before. Link turned around and his heart sank when he saw the monster: a Stalfos. He looked to Zelda for backup, but she was busy dealing with a Stalfos of her own. Link raised his shield, determined not to be beaten this close to his goal.

The Stalfos attacked, but its swords rebounded off the shield, causing its arms to fall off. Link took advantage of the distraction to hack away at the monster's ribcage, but before long the arms reattached. Undaunted, Link pressed on with his attack, but after a moment the Stalfos took a few steps back, and dark smoke swirled around its damaged bones. Link's eyes widened as he saw it regenerating, but the smoke prevented him from getting close enough to do any damage. Suddenly a bolt of light shot through the air and smashed into the Stalfos' skull, instantly destroying the monster. Link smiled at Zelda, lowering her Bow of Light.

'Quickly!' she yelled as the barrier vanished. 'I think we can make it to the bottom this time!' Link nodded and hurtled down the slope, skidding at the bottom. He ran into the circular enclosure in the centre, and his face broadened into a smile when he saw the Sealing Spike in the centre.

'Finally!' he muttered. Remembering Eldin's instructions, he raised his sword skyward and prepared to launch a Skyward Strike, as the dragon had called it, at the spike. But suddenly another goldern barrier formed behind him, sealing him and Zelda in the centre of the pit. Immediately the enclosure filled with dark smoke, revealing a packed crowd of Bokoblins. Quickly Link lowered his aim and shot his Skyward Strike out horizontally, taking out the front row of monsters. But more came forward to fill the gap, and Link knew he would never get to the Sealing Spike as long as they were there. As if reading his thoughts, Zelda said,

'Let's take out as many of these as it takes to get you close to the spike. Then I'll cover you while you seal it.'

'Sounds good,' Link replied as he leapt at the nearest clump of Bokoblins. Slowly, with spin attacks, jump attacks, and help from the Skyward Strike and light arrows, the two Hylians made it closer and closer to the Spike. Eventually a shift in the pack of monsters revealed their goal, and Link rushed over to it. Zelda followed, battling off Bokoblins on all sides while Link raise his sword skyward once more. The light crept down the blade agonizingly slowly, and behind him Link could see Zelda starting to falter under the ferocity of the enemy attacks.

'Come on, come on,' he muttered under his breath. Finally, the Master Sword was fully charged, and he slashed it vertically downwards, hitting the spike square on. The dark aura around it faded, and the entire spike glowed with white light. Link thrust his sword towards the ground and the Sealing Spike followed, becoming embedded deeply in the earth. Light erupted from the spike, annihilating the monsters surrounding them, and the two of them breathed a long sigh of relief, able to relax at last. Suddenly another wave of light emanated from the Sealing Spike, and in its wake everything went black.

-o-

When Link opened his eyes he saw that he was still in darkness, and smiled. Looking around, he saw Zelda next to him. A quick nod confirmed that she was thinking the same thing: they were about to receive a vision of the resting place of the final piece of the Triforce. An orb of red light rose in front of the pair, and it expanded into a flat sheet, showing an image of the Triforce symbol. The symbol was engraved on what looked like smooth white stone. The image zoomed out, revealing a collection of buildings, made out of the stone.

Everything around the buildings was blank white, as though it was in a snowfield, but a bright light shone from somewhere just outside the image, glancing off the whiteness and almost blinding the Hylians. Link squinted, trying to make out more details. He didn't recognise anything in the image. But as suddenly as it had appeared the image faded, swallowed up in red light which obscured Link's vision. When it faded he found that he was standing inside the volcano, at the very point from which he had jumped into the lava below.

'Any idea what that was?' Zelda asked behind him. Link shook his head.

'No. I was hoping you'd know. You generally know about these things.'

'Not this time,' Zelda replied, disappointed. 'It looked like that temple was surrounded by snow, but I've been to the snowy mountains, and I didn't see anything like that. And the Temple of Wisdom is already located there. It wouldn't make sense to have two pieces of the Triforce so close together.'

'Ahem.' A deep voice from behind them made them spin round, only to see Eldin hovering there. As usual, the dragon had been deceptively quiet for a creature of his size. 'You passed the trial, I assume.'

'Yes, but we don't know where to go now! We saw the temple where the Triforce is, and it looked like it was surrounded by snow, but Zelda doesn't think the temple will be in the eastern mountains.' Eldin was silent for a moment, staring up at the sky above.

'I'm sorry, but as much as I would like to help you, I don't think I can. I have travelled everywhere on this wide land of Hyrule, but I have never seen anything like what you describe.' Link sighed in frustration. It was all very well passing Din's Trial, but it had given them almost no useful information. He turned to Zelda, but she wasn't looking at him. Instead, she was staring up at the sky in the same way Eldin had been.

'Not _on_ Hyrule,' she said slowly, 'but _above_ it! Link, that's it! The Temple of Power, it must be in the sky!' Link gasped. It made sense. The whiteness around the temple could just as easily be clouds as snow, and it was the only place they hadn't already searched on their travels.

'Then what are we waiting for?' he asked, grabbing Zelda's arm. 'Let's go! Back to the Sealed Temple! We've got to get up to the sky!' With a yell of thanks to Eldin, they sprinted out of the volcano and back down the mountain. By the time the slow-witted Gorons registered anything, they were already riding back across Hyrule Field.

-o-

'We should stop at Mara's house, to check on the villagers,' Zelda yelled over the wind as they galloped across the grassland. Link hesitated, wanting to get to the Sealed Temple and return to the sky as soon as possible, knowing that if they got there after night fell, their Loftwings wouldn't catch them. But on the other hand, he did want to make sure that the people of Fallhollow were still safe. And, he realised, heading for Mara's house would hopefully distract Zelda from the idea of stopping in Hyrule Town. The thought of seeing Hyra again made Link gulp. So he nodded, and the two of them changed their course to their friend's house.

But as they approached, Link knew that something was different. The makeshift camps dotted around the house were gone. Link dismounted cautiously, wondering where everyone was. Could they have returned to the forest already? Or had something terrible happened? Before he could form any more theories, the door opened and Mara ran out, nearly knocking Link to the ground with a hug.

'Link! It's so good to see you again!' As Link opened his mouth to greet Mara in return she ran past him to Epona. 'You brought her back with you! Hey girl, how are you? I haven't seen you for ages! Link was very mean and kept you away from me. He was mean, wasn't he?' the redhead cooed, and Link rolled his eyes.

'Link! You're back, bud! That's great!' Link looked around and smiled as he saw Faru emerging from Mara's house. 'Still in one piece, eh? Good for you. How goes the quest?' Link sighed wearily.

'We're getting there. But now we need to find another temple, so we can't stay long.'

'Uh-huh. Hey, what's with your hand?' Suddenly Mara gasped, seeing the symbol on the back of Link's hand. She quickly looked round and gasped again when she saw Zelda with the same symbol.

'It's a long story, and not one we've got time to tell you right now,' Zelda interjected. Link had forgotten she was there, but as he looked at her she tilted her head towards the sun. It had sunk an appreciable distance even while he'd been talking to Faru and Mara, and at this rate they wouldn't make it to the sky before sunset. Quickly he explained the situation to his friends. Faru looked disappointed that his friend wouldn't be staying longer, but Mara wasn't daunted.

'Alright then. You can give us a ride back to the village. We're all rebuilding it together, and you should come see it!'

'All of you?' Link muttered to Faru as they climbed onto Epona, with Mara riding behind Zelda on Rhiannon.

'She's a friend, okay?' Faru muttered back, and Link smiled. Soon they were galloping across Hyrule Field again, in the direction of Faron Woods.

-o-

The sun was little more than a hand's width above the horizon by the time they galloped down the path to the village. As they approached Link heard voices, talking and laughing and some raised in song. He smiled, urging Epona to go faster. He leapt from her back before the chestnut mare had a chance to slow down, landing in the middle of a crowd of people. Once they were over the initial shock, their reactions turned to joy, and soon he was surrounded by the entire population of the village. A cacophony of voices filled the clearing, asking Link a thousand questions, but again Zelda nodded in the direction of the setting sun. Reluctantly, Link raised his hands for silence.

'I promise we'll tell you all about our adventures when we get a chance, but right now we're in a hurry. Once all this is over, we'll be back, I promise,' he said.

'I'll hold you to that, bud,' Faru said with a grin. 'Oh, but before you go, you've got to see this! Look at the village!' The crowd parted, giving Link his first look at Fallhollow Village, and his jaw dropped.

'It-It's just like before,' he gasped, and it was. The treehouses had been rebuilt, and the bridges. Finally, the village was back to its former glory. With one glaring exception. With a pang in his heart, Link caught sight of his treehouse. It was still an ashen shell, clearly untouched. Following his gaze, Faru said nervously,

'We weren't sure what to do with your house. After all, it is _your_ house. We were going to ask what you wanted us to do. I mean, we can take it down if you want, but…' Link was motionless, images flickering behind his eyes. Images of the last time he had visited his former home. Tam, possessed by the demon. The fear in her eyes. The awful crack as she… Link shuddered, but felt a gentle hand on his arm. He turned and saw Zelda, smiling sadly.

'Don't turn your house into a shrine for her,' she said softly. 'It'll only preserve the bad memories.'

'But I don't want to forget what happened,' Link murmured in reply. Zelda shook her head.

'You won't.' Faru looked from one to the other in confusion.

'Who are you two talking about?' There was a moment of silence before Link responded.

'A friend of ours. She… died in there.' There were one or two gasps from the crowd of villagers.

'Really? I had no idea… I'm sorry,' Faru said, fidgeting awkwardly. Then he shook himself out of it. 'Look, not to intrude on your moment, but… I just remembered something. It might cheer you up a bit.' Link looked up, eager to have his mind taken off the forest sprite. 'There's someone new in the village! She just turned up one day at the edge of the village. She said she lost all her memories, all she could remember was her name. So we sort of adopted her. She's out in the forest at the moment, but she'll be back soon. We told her about you and she was really keen to meet you, and Zelda. Hopefully she- there she is!' Link turned round, ready to greet the mysterious stranger. But the new girl in the village was no stranger. When Link saw the familiar small shape, his heart stopped.

'…Tam?' he said at last. For the new girl looked exactly like Tam. True, she had lost her green glow. But in every other detail this girl resembled the sprite exactly. The girl frowned.

'It's Tamara actually, but I guess you can call me Tam if you want. You're Link, I assume? It's really nice to meet you! And you're Zelda? That's great! You know, it's weird, but I feel like I already know you two…' The girl looked puzzled for a moment, then shrugged. 'Ah well, I guess it's just my imagination!' With the introductions over, Tam ran off to the nearest tree and scaled it quickly, skipping along the bridges to the treehouse belonging to Jorin and the twins. Link thought vaguely that they must have adopted her. Noticing the other villagers staring at him, he shook himself out of his daze, although he couldn't take his eyes off of the girl's retreating back.

'Everything okay, bud?' Faru asked. Link thought for a moment about how best to tell the story, but Zelda nudged him.

'Not now,' she mouthed. 'It's not the right time.' Link realised she was right.

'Nothing. It's just- it's been great to see you all again, and the village looks amazing, but we really do need to go. I'm sorry, but we'll come back as soon as we can.' The villagers were reluctant to let them leave, but eventually Link and Zelda made it back to their horses and started trotting down the track leading away from the village. After a few moments, Link realised that Zelda wasn't following, and looked back for her. She was motionless, staring back at the village and frowning.

'You okay?' Link called, and Zelda shook herself.

'It's nothing. Just daydreaming.' Zelda nudged Rhiannon back into a walk, but as soon as Link turned away she looked back at the village. She didn't know why, but she had a strange foreboding feeling, as though she was leaving the peaceful village for the last time, never to return.

-o-

They galloped through the forest in silence for a while, before Link said what they were both thinking.

'How in Farore's name is Tam alive?' he said, shaking his head in disbelief. Zelda frowned.

'I'm not sure. I mean, reincarnation is basically unheard of. Even the Triforce can't resurrect a mortal. But then again, was Tam mortal? Maybe being a sprite somehow made her partly immortal.' Link frowned.

'But she can't be immortal! If she was, she wouldn't have been killed!'

'Immortal doesn't mean invulnerable. It just means that, left to her own devices, she would have lived forever. It doesn't mean that she can't still be killed by someone else. But there's something strange. Tam now looks like an ordinary mortal girl. So somewhere along the way she must have lost her magical form. I'm not sure, but… I was reading my ancestor's diary, and she was talking about Faron – you know, the Water Dragon. She said that the dragon has dominion over all creatures of the forest, which would include Tam. Maybe, somehow, because Tam was so brave and helped us so much, Faron was able to use her magic to bring Tam back to life – which would be possible, given that Tam was never fully mortal. But Faron's magic probably doesn't stretch to making Tam a sprite again. At least, that's my theory. And there's an upside.'

'Oh?' Link asked, trying to make sense of Zelda's idea.

'Remember how Tam said she was lonely before, because she was the only forest sprite? Well, now she's got the twins and Faru and Jorin and all the other villagers – and from the sound of it, Mara too. She'll never be lonely again.' Link smiled, glad that Tam would finally have some company. Zelda was right. Whatever the reason for her reincarnation, the main thing was that Tam would now be happy, sprite or not.

-o-

Soon Link's musings were interrupted by the sound of Epona's hooves clopping against stone. Looking down, Link saw that they were riding down the overgrown path which led to the Sealed Temple. He glanced anxiously up at the sun, which was touching the horizon.

'We might make it!' he yelled over the rushing wind, urging Epona on. He leapt from her back and raced to the Statue of the Goddess. Looking up, he saw to his relief that the portal to the skies was still there. He climbed the statue as quickly as possible, relieved to see that Zelda was following. They quickly reached the platform where the Goddess' cupped hands held the portal, and Zelda rummaged in her pack for the Sailcloth.

'Are you ready?' she asked. Link nodded, and grabbed the other two corners. Instantly the fierce wind filled the cloth, lifting the Hylians high into the air. They shot through the clouds, falling out of the column of wind, and Link instinctively lifted his fingers to his mouth and whistled for his Loftwing, Zelda doing the same. For a few moments there was no response, and with a sickening feeling in his stomach Link wondered if they were too late. But against the golden light of the setting sun, the crimson and blue Loftwings soared up to catch their masters, and Link sighed in relief.

'Where do you think we should start looking for the temple?' he yelled to Zelda. But she shook her head.

'I don't think we've got time for that!' Link realised she was right, as the two Loftwings were heading straight for Skyloft, ignoring Link's attempts to turn his bird around. 'We made it just in time, but we'll have to leave the temple until tomorrow,' Zelda shouted as the birds swooped low across the ground. When they passed over a soft grassy patch the Hylians leapt from their backs, staggering slightly as they landed. As they watched their birds soar off into the distance, Link sighed.

'Well, I guess that's it for today.'

-o-

Link lay back against the grass, full and content. After a hearty meal of roast pumpkin, he felt as though he could finally relax. Although the world below was still threatened by Demise ( _and all because of you_ , his subconscious added snidely), for tonight there was nothing Link could do, not without his bird. It was as if the Goddesses had given him a holiday, just for one night, when he could relax and rest without feeling guilty about it. But as his eyes drifted shut he saw Zelda rising.

'Where are you going?' he asked, yawning.

'Up there, look!' Zelda said, pointing up at the sky. Link tilted his head back further, and saw yet another floating island. But this one hovered close to Skyloft itself, and Link could see a waterfall cascading off it, feeding the river flowing through the town below. 'I bet there's a great view from up there,' Zelda said. She pointed to some vines hanging off the edge of the island. 'Look at those. We could probably reach those with our clawshots, and then we'd be able to climb up easily.'

'We?' Link grumbled. 'Why we?' Zelda turned to him with wide, innocent blue eyes.

'Surely you're not going to let a defenceless girl go up to the big scary island all alone?' she said with a smile.

'Zelda, there are many adjectives one could use to describe you, but "defenceless" is not one of them. You and I both know you're far more capable of taking care of yourself than I am.' But he stood up anyway, following Zelda to a spot below the vines. 'Ladies first,' he said, mock-bowing. Glaring at him, Zelda pulled out her clawshot and expertly shot it at the vines, launching herself into the air.

'Coming?' she called, starting to climb up to the island. Link pulled out his own clawshot, missed the vines on the first try, ignored Zelda's laughter, and managed to hit them the second time. Soon he was hauling himself onto the island next to Zelda. But still she wouldn't let him rest, grabbing his arm and towing him to the edge of the island, right next to the waterfall.

'Sit!' she instructed, pushing him down. 'Now look.' He sighed, but the noise turned into a gasp as he tilted his head back and looked up at the sky.

'…Wow,' he managed.

-o-

The sky glowed. Stars shone like a handful of diamonds scattered across the heavens, set against a backdrop of swirling clouds. But what shocked and amazed Link most were the colours. Living in the forest, he had seen the starry sky every night of his life, but now it seemed to him as if he had never truly seen it. He had always thought that stars were white pinpricks of light, and the sky behind was black. But these stars were blue, red, purple, tiny jewels of all colours. And the sky very nearly outshone them. It glowed turquoise, yellow, pink, blue, and countless other colours besides. Sitting on the floating island, looking up into the thin, clear air, Link felt as though he could see right into the depths of space, and beyond.

'Glad I made you come up here?' Zelda asked next to him.

'Yes,' Link said fervently, not taking his eyes off the glow. 'Why does it look so beautiful?' Zelda laughed.

'I could give you a million reasons, about air temperature and cloud cover and celestial events happening far beyond this world. But I think it's nicer just to call it a miracle of the Goddesses. After all, that's true too. Just because there's a logical explanation, it doesn't mean this isn't magical.' Link was shaken out of his daze as Zelda's words triggered something in his memory. Standing in the Pool of Stars with Latiro, and hearing the King's words.

'Magic doesn't stop being magic just because you know how it's done.' Zelda nodded slowly.

'Yeah, that's right.' She sighed and leant back further, resting her head on Link's shoulder.

'Like Tam coming back,' Link said after a while. 'Whatever the explanation, that's still a miracle.'

'Yes. You know, I was thinking about the day we first met her – well, the day _I_ first met her. She's always so full of life. And that first morning, when she was messing around and annoying you. I've missed that.' Thinking back to that morning, Link felt a furious blush rise in his face. Zelda, with her head against his cheek, felt the heat and looked at him.

'What's wrong?'

'Erm…' Link swallowed hard, then decided to come clean. 'You know how you were washing under the waterfall? Well, Tam tricked me into following her all the way into that clearing. Don't worry, I didn't see… anything, but I nearly did. Sorry.' To his surprise and relief, Zelda laughed.

'Wow. You know, for one so young, Tam really does have a dirty mind. Why would she want you to see me naked?' Link shrugged.

'I guess she thought it would be funny.' Zelda laughed again.

'Talking of funny, I have a confession of my own. Remember when you first got your sword, and you went back to your village to be trained? Well, I followed you. After I saw you in the tree, I thought I was probably mistaken, you weren't the boy from my dream, but I wanted to be sure. So I followed you back to Fallhollow, and I watched you training with Quin. Including the part where you managed to stab yourself in the hand.' Link glared.

'It was an accident! It could have happened to anyone!' His anger just made Zelda laugh harder.

'I know! But that's why I went easy on you, that first day when we fought. I knew that if I attacked at full strength you'd be killed. I didn't want that.' Link smiled and put his arm round Zelda.

'You know, you act like this tough girl, but really you're just a big softie, aren't you?' Zelda punched him playfully on the arm.

'Hey, watch it. I could probably still beat you.'

'You think?' Link joked. But Zelda looked appraisingly at him.

'Actually… I'm not sure I could. Not anymore. Let's be honest, you were a pretty terrible fighter when you started out on your adventure, but you're a quick learner, and you've got a lot of natural talent. You're a real Hero now, Link. And I don't think I'm a match for you anymore.' Link smiled and, without thinking, pulled Zelda closer and kissed the top of her head. To his surprise, she smiled back, putting her arms around his neck and resting her head back on his shoulder.

Link relaxed, thinking about how different this felt to when Hyra tried to get close to him. There was no awkwardness, no guilt here. For a moment, Link considered telling Zelda about Hyra. After all, he couldn't avoid the Princess forever, and when he finally saw both girls at the same time it would be very difficult if he didn't explain things to Zelda first. The last thing he wanted was for his friend to get hurt. But at the same time, he knew that bringing up Hyra now, here, would be a mistake. Tonight was somehow a special moment, between him and Zelda, and he wasn't going to let Hyra interrupt it.

-o-

Pushing the Princess from his mind, he turned to Zelda.

'What are you going to do when all this is over?' he asked. She turned to him surprised.

'Link, that's quite far away. We've still got a long way to go before we can start planning our futures.' But Link shrugged.

'All that's left to do is find the Triforce of Power. Once we've got that, we'll be able to defeat Demise easily, and then it'll all be over.' Zelda sighed.

'I'm not so sure.' Link thought for a moment, then asked tentatively,

'Do you think we'll still see each other after all this is over?' Zelda smiled up at him.

'I think so.' Link was silent for several long minutes, deep in thought.

'What are you thinking about?' Zelda asked.

'Us. And those two times when we nearly…' Zelda nodded.

'I thought it might be something like that.'

'You said we'd sort everything out between us when our adventure is over,' Link reminded her.

'I remember,' she replied, but guardedly. Link guessed she probably knew where this was going. But he took a deep breath, and plunged on.

'So why don't we sort it out now? After all, neither of us is ready to go to sleep just yet. And anyway, how many more nights like this do you think we'll have, where we really can't do anything except rest and enjoy each other's company? Even when Demise is defeated, there'll still be things to do. Life will get in the way again. So why not sort this out now?' Zelda sighed, and untangled herself from his arms. She stood up and walked to the edge of the island, and Link thought she would leave. But instead she stayed there, staring out into the distance while Link watched her. Suddenly she said,

'We need to focus right now. And we both know you won't focus if you're dreaming about me the whole time.'

'I already dream about you,' Link said truthfully. He rose and went over to Zelda, standing close to her. She sighed.

'Link, this is a really bad idea. We can't allow ourselves to get distracted.' But even as she spoke, she leant closer towards Link.

'I know…' he replied, leaning in. Zelda's eyes flickered shut as Link wrapped his arms around her waist, closing the gap between them. Finally, their lips touched.

It's possible the world moved, right then, just for them. It probably didn't. But it would be nice to think it did.

-o-

Link opened his eyes in the darkness. Next to him, Zelda murmured in her sleep and snuggled closer to him. Smiling, Link put his arm around her and pulled the blanket over her. After their kiss, the two Hylians had stayed on the floating island for a while, enjoying the warm feeling they felt from being together. But eventually, they had turned towards the Academy.

The question of going further than kissing hadn't arisen (and Link wasn't going to bring it up), but they had wordlessly decided to share a bed, as a defence against the cold night air. Now, Link looked up to the ceiling and smiled to himself. He thought about his ancestor, and Zelda's, and how many nights the Hero of the Skies must have lain here, dreaming of the girl he loved. Link looked over at Zelda, the memory of their kiss still tingling on his lips.

 _Well, it took a while_ , he thought, _but we made it in the end._

-o-

Zelda opened her eyes. She was surrounded by darkness, but she could make out none of the familiar shapes from Link's bedroom in the Academy. Nodding to herself, she realised she must be dreaming. Suddenly a blinding flash of golden light erupted in front of her, and she had to turn away. When the afterglow faded, she saw that she was standing on a golden image of the Triforce. There were three more flashes, one at each corner of the symbol. Three Hylianoid figures stood there: green, blue and red. They had blank faces, no features visible, and their bodies were smooth and unmarked. They were absolutely identical, other than their colours.

As Zelda looked from one to the other, she became aware of a golden light shining down on her from above. Looking up, she had to shield her eyes from the glow, but managed to make out the Triforce, hanging in the air and spinning slowly. The hairs on the back of her neck rose, and suddenly the three figures converged, racing to the centre of the symbol where Zelda stood. She braced herself for the impact, but when the figures met there was only another flash of light.

Looking around, Zelda gasped as she saw the green figure lying lifeless on the ground, with the blue figure standing next to it, powerless to act. Its eyeless face was turned to a point behind Zelda, and she spun round. She saw the red figure, arm upraised, reaching for the Triforce itself. But as it touched it, the figure changed into a ball of red light. The blue and green figures did the same in different colours, and the orbs moved back to their respective corners, before transforming back into their Hylianoid forms. The Triforce remained, spinning slowly above Zelda. The setup was exactly as it had been before.

Narrowing her eyes, Zelda took a few steps to the side, so she could watch the scene unfold for the second time. Again, the three figures raced towards the Triforce. But this time, the blue figure threw itself between the red and green figures. A flash of light obscured Zelda's vision, but when she looked back she saw that the red figure was again standing below the Triforce. But unlike the last time, the blue figure was the one on the ground, motionless. And the green figure was still standing. It raised a hand to the glowing Triforce, which disappeared in a flash of golden light. Now the green figure raised the same hand, which glowed gold. It turned towards the red figure, and there was a final flash of light.

When her vision cleared, Zelda saw that the red figure had joined the blue figure on the ground. The only one left standing was the green one. Zelda watched it carefully, wondering what else would happen. But the scene stayed frozen, and she realised she would get no more help deciphering her dream. She thought for a moment, wondering about the symbolism of green, blue and red, and the two series of events which had unfolded. Suddenly she realised what it had to mean. A cold hand took hold of her heart as she looked down at the motionless blue figure, and the triumphant green one.

'Do you understand?' a female voice from behind her asked. She turned, and gasped as she saw the golden figure of Nayru. The goddess' glowing blue eyes were fixed on Zelda's face as she waited for a reply. Recovering herself, Zelda addressed the goddess.

'Yes. At some point in our adventure, I'm going to have to save Link from Demise. If I don't do it, he'll die, and Demise will get the Triforce. But if I do… Link will live, and he will destroy Demise. But I will die.' Nayru nodded slowly and, Zelda thought, sadly.

'Yes. You must sacrifice yourself. And do you know when you must do this?' Zelda looked back at the motionless figures, and thought back to the Triforce hovering above. A lump formed in her throat, but she nodded.

'I do.' Nayru nodded a final time.

'Very well. I wish you luck, Hylia.' With these words, Nayru raised her hands, and the dream world vanished, leaving only darkness. After a few moments Zelda realised that she was awake, and opened her eyes, sitting up in bed. Link stirred next to her, muttering something in his sleep, but to her relief he rolled over and lay calmly once more. She really didn't want to think about Link right now. Panicked questions sleeted through her mind, the whispers rising to a roar.

 _What do I do? When do I tell Link? How do I tell Link? Should I even tell Link at all?_ But one question rose above the others.

'Am I really ready to die?'

-o-

A/N: Tam's back! I loved her too much to keep her dead, so I kinda bent the rules a bit and brought her back. Meh, it's my story. If I want to be a shameless sap and resurrect characters for no good reason, I will.

And they finally kissed! Wooooo! Much joy abounds! Except that Zelda is almost certainly going to die at some point... Sorry about that.


	23. Chapter 23: Anger

Link awoke the next morning with a smile on his face. Rolling over, he saw that Zelda was still asleep, so he decided not to wake her. The sun was just hovering on the horizon, meaning that soon the Loftwings would be flying, and they could search for the Temple of Power. And once they found the Triforce of Power, they could defeat Demise, and then… Link looked back at Zelda and smiled.

Despite the fact that this temple would likely be the greatest challenge they had faced yet, he felt oddly at peace. It was as though, no matter how many monsters he faced, and how strong they were, nothing could touch him. For the first time Link understood the bliss that Quin and Cariad shared. And he understood Faru's depression, when he realised that the girl he loved would never love him back.

 _Imagine_ , Link thought, _having all this happiness, and then having it wrenched away. No wonder Faru was inconsolable. I would be too._ Behind him, Zelda stirred, then blinked sleepily a few times.

'Morning,' Link said, leaning over to kiss her. But before he could do so Zelda frowned, and rolled out of the way. 'Everything okay?' Link asked, puzzled.

'Yes,' Zelda said, getting up and leaving the room without another word. Link followed her. Surely he couldn't have angered Zelda during the night. But why else would she be acting like this?

'Zelda!' he caught up with her and grabbed her hand. She turned to him, and Link gasped as he saw a hint of blue fire in her eyes.

'We need to go. The Loftwings should be up by now,' she informed him, striding off.

'Zelda, wait! What's going on? Why are you so angry?' Link asked, running in front of her and blocking the doorway of the Academy. 'I thought, after last night…'

'You thought what?' Zelda asked coldly. 'I told you, I only kissed you so that you'd stop wondering about it. Now we need to focus on defeating Demise. After that… we'll see.' She walked out of the Academy, not noticing that Link wasn't following. He was still staring at the corridor where she had been, trying to make sense of this in his head.

 _This can't be real_ , he told himself. _This has to be… a joke, or something. An awful joke. Last night… But I know she likes me! That wasn't just a one-time thing to stop me wondering, I know she feels the same way! Why is she acting like this?_ He rushed outside and caught sight of Zelda standing on one of the wooden platforms.

'Zelda, don't try to deny it,' he said, going over to her. 'I know you wanted to kiss me too. Why are you pretending that it meant nothing to you?' Zelda turned angrily to Link.

'Because it didn't! Look, maybe I have some feelings for you on some level, but unlike you I'm focused on the task ahead! We need to put whatever we may or may not feel for each other aside, and put all our efforts into defeating Demise.'

'Yeah, but surely-' Link protested, but Zelda silenced him with a look.

'I don't get it, Link. You just don't take this seriously. All those people depending on us, all those lives hanging in the balance. And yet you act like this is all some kind of game to you!'

'Zelda, you know it's not! I'm just saying, I-'

'Yes, you! That's all you think about, all you've ever thought about since the start! You want what's best for you. Sure, you'll go out there and save the world. Just as long as it doesn't interfere with your love life!' Link took a step back in the face of Zelda's anger. He was at a loss as to where this was coming from. But he felt his own anger rising inside him, and although he knew it was a terrible mistake, he balled his hands into fists and glared at Zelda.

'I don't get why you're acting like this! It was one kiss, okay? I'm not asking you to give up on saving the world and, I don't know, run off and marry me or something! All I'm asking you to do is to admit that you like me! Is that really so hard?' Zelda didn't reply immediately. Finally, in a quiet voice, she said,

'You know what you are, Link? You're a little kid. A spoilt little kid who has no idea what it means to act like an adult.' She turned away from him and leapt off the wooden platform, whistling on the way down. Moments later a blue blur shot past, and Zelda's Loftwing carried her higher into the sky. Link stayed on the ground, fuming.

'How can this be so hard?' he muttered. 'What is wrong with her? I thought I was finally getting through…' But eventually Zelda had flown so far that he could barely see her. Although he didn't want to admit it right now, Link knew that it would be a lot easier to find and successfully navigate the Temple of Power if he had her with him. Growling under his breath, he leapt off the platform and whistled for his own Loftwing. Reluctantly, he followed Zelda up into the sky.

-o-

'Where do you think we should start searching?' Zelda called. Link was surprised, but supposed that Zelda was done with their argument, at least for now.

 _Yes_ , he thought bitterly, _we need to be 'focused'. Why in Din's name should we a few little feelings interfere with our grand quest?_ He took a few deep breaths to calm himself.

'I'm not sure. I flew all over the sky the first time we came up here, and all I saw was a few more islands. Nothing like that temple.'

'Hmm…' Zelda said thoughtfully. 'Do you remember anything from the vision, other than those buildings?'

'There wasn't anything else! Just some clouds!' Zelda seemed disappointed by his answer, but looked around.

'Hey, what's that up there?' she asked, pointing to something. Link squinted.

'More clouds?' he asked. Zelda's sigh of annoyance was audible even over the rushing wind.

'Don't they look weird to you?' She urged her Loftwing higher into the sky, towards the clouds. Link followed, and as they flew closer he had to admit that Zelda was right. The clouds were strangely shaped, almost like…

'Buildings?' he shouted. 'How are they staying up?' Zelda was too far away to answer. Her Loftwing swooped low over a flat part of one of the clouds and she leapt off its back, landing right next to a darker part. Link landed next to her, surprised at the feel of the clouds. He had expected to pass right through, but instead the cloud felt spongy and springy, almost like a very thick bed of moss. As he thought about this, Zelda brushed her hand through the darker patch of cloud. Instantly it vanished into wispy nothingness, leaving behind a dark hole.

'This looks like the entrance,' Zelda announced. Link looked around at the other cloud-buildings before entering. They looked very much like the ones from the vision, and Link supposed that from a distance the clouds could look like smooth white stone. But Link noticed something else strange about the buildings. All of them, except the one they were standing next to, were upside-down. The entrances were at the very top of the buildings, and although there were cloud platforms outside the entrances, these were also at the top. If Link tried to jump from his Loftwing onto one of those, he would fall back down to the world below.

Unless they could find some way to turn the other buildings the right way up, it looked as though this building was the only one they could enter. Link turned to follow Zelda, but as he did so his eye was caught by an enormous sphere of cloud, in the centre of the other buildings. It didn't resemble any of the other buildings, but it looked so unnatural that Link was sure it had to be part of the temple. But there was no visible way in, so he shrugged and turned back to Zelda.

'Shall we?' she asked. He nodded, and together they entered the Temple of Power.

-o-

When Link stepped through the door he was immediately hit by a ferocious wind, pushing him against the wall. He raised his arm to shield his eyes, and saw that both walls of the chamber were lined with fans, blowing back and forth across the room. Link would be pushed around easily by them, but on the upside there were no enemies to fight and it looked as though there were no hidden traps in this room. Link thought for a moment, then decided to make a run for it and hope. But just as he was about to take a step forward Zelda grabbed the back of his tunic.

'Are you crazy?' she yelled over the sound of the fans. She pointed down at the floor Link had been about to run across. Squinting, he realised that what he had thought was solid cloud was actually just mist. He tentatively touched it with his boot, and his foot passed straight through. If Zelda hadn't stopped him, he would have plunged straight down to his death.

He nodded curtly, not entirely willing to show his gratitude, and looked around for a more solid path. He could just make out a narrow strip of cloud in the middle of the room which led to a central platform. But he knew that the moment he stepped on it, the fans would blow him off into the abyss. Zelda was clearly thinking the same thing, scanning the room carefully. She nudged Link and pointed up, to where several clawshot points were embedded in the ceiling. Link nodded and led the way, shooting from one target to the next, with Zelda following close behind.

When he was directly over the platform, and out of reach of the fans, he allowed himself to drop down and look at the rest of the room. Another narrow path led to a door on the far side, and there were more fans lining the walls, blowing in alternating directions, so a gust to the left was followed by a gust to the right. And this time there were no clawshot points to help. Link looked down at the platform, and saw a small blue plinth. Cautiously, he nudged it, and when nothing happened he stood on it. Immediately it moved under his weight, and the fans on the left side of the wall shut off. After a few seconds they switched back on, and the fans on the right turned off. Link signalled Zelda, trying to yell his plan over the noise of the fans.

'We can make it across! The fans are alternating, so when the sides switch off one after the other, we can use the breaks as safe zones to get across the bridge.' Zelda nodded her agreement, but as soon as Link walked off the switch, it rose back up and all the fans came back on.

'One of us needs to hold it down!' Zelda yelled.

'Fine! You hold it, I'll go!' Link yelled.

'No! What if I can't get across afterwards? I should go, you hold it.' They stared at each other for a moment, each waiting for the other to make a move. Finally Zelda rolled her eyes and stood on the switch. 'There. Happy now?' Instead of answering, Link turned to the bridge and walked slowly across, timing his movements carefully. Eventually he made it to the other side, and to his relief saw that the door was unlocked.

'Hey!' Zelda yelled behind him. 'There must be some way to turn the fans off from your side!' Link looked around without much enthusiasm. Right now, he would much prefer to explore the temple on his own. But when his eyes settled on another blue switch, he sighed and stood on it, allowing Zelda to cross. He knew she would never forgive him otherwise, and he supposed that there would probably be other puzzles in the temple requiring two people. It wouldn't be wise to antagonise Zelda. 'Ready?' she asked as she reached the door, oblivious to Link's thoughts. He nodded, and went through.

-o-

Link was relieved to be out of the wind as the door closed behind them, but the next room wasn't much better. There were more fans here, although they were in the floor rather than the walls. Link looked up, and saw many cloud platforms hovering in mid-air at different heights, and he thought he could make out something gleaming on some of them. His eye was caught by the same gleam from the corner of the room, and he went over to investigate. Lying on the clouded floor was a single silver rupee. As he reached for it however, Zelda called to him from the other side of the room.

'Link, wait! Don't touch that!' Link rolled his eyes, but didn't touch the gem.

'What, are you going to lecture me on how it's wrong to steal now? This doesn't belong to anyone! It's just a random rupee lying around.'

'Exactly. Don't you think that's a bit strange? Why would someone bring a rupee all the way up here, then just toss it away? It must be part of the temple, which means it could be a trap.' Link sighed and folded his arms.

'Alright then, what do you want to do?' He looked across the room at the door, which was barred. 'We have to figure out a way to open that. Any ideas?' he asked. Zelda bit her lip.

'I… I guess maybe you could try picking that thing up.'

'Thank you,' Link said sarcastically, reaching down and grabbing the jewel. 'Oh look, nothing happened,' he said after a moment. Zelda glared at him, then went over to the nearest fan.

'Hey, there's something on that platform up there!' she said. 'It looks like another one of those rupees.' Link looked around at the rest of the platforms.

'There's more on the other platforms. Maybe we have to collect all of them?'

'Maybe,' Zelda said, rummaging through her pack and retrieving her Sailcloth. 'Well, come on then,' she said impatiently when Link didn't move. 'You need to hold the other two corners.' Grumbling under his breath, Link did as commanded. The wind from the fan filled the cloth, propelling them into the air. They landed on the platform and Zelda grabbed the rupee before Link got a chance.

'Hey!' he said, annoyed. Zelda shrugged.

'It doesn't matter who collects these, as long as we get all of them.' She leapt down from the platform without a word, going over to the next fan. 'Coming?' she called up. But Link was looking speculatively at the next platform. Without looking at Zelda he took a few steps back, then leapt and caught the edge of the higher platform.

'I can do it this way,' he told her. When she frowned, he said, 'It doesn't matter who collects them, remember?' Zelda shouted something inaudible, but Link was pretty sure he didn't want to hear it. She sounded angry. He grabbed the next rupee and jumped to the next platform, navigating his way around the room without falling once, while Zelda stood below and glared at him. Finally he reached the final rupee, pocketing it with a certain amount of satisfaction.

'Very nice,' Zelda said sarcastically when he jumped down. 'But I thought we wanted the door open.' Link frowned, and saw that the bars were still over the door.

'But…' he began, when suddenly purple smoke began to swirl through the room.

'Wow, I wish one of us had considered the possibility that it was a trap!' Zelda said angrily as she drew her sword. Link said nothing, doing the same. When the smoke cleared a high-pitched twittering made Link turn, and he saw a swarm of Keese heading straight for him. He managed to slash most of them down as they passed, and a few well-aimed light arrows from Zelda took care of the rest.

'Is that it?' Link asked after a moment. But clearly it wasn't, as more smoke appeared. Wild cries came from the clouds, and when Link could see again he gasped. There were two monsters there, resembling Lizalfos in many ways, except that these had large leathery wings. They each carried a sword and shield and, as Link watched, they took to the air, snarling and snapping at the Hylians. 'What are those?' Link asked.

'Aeralfos! Those shields will block our arrows, so we can't attack them in the air,' Zelda answered. 'We need to find some way to get them onto the ground.' Link narrowed his eyes and looked closely at the shields.

'Hey, those look a bit like clawshot targets! I wonder if we can use them…' he said, pulling out his clawshots as he did so. As expected, the Aeralfos raised its shield to block the projectile, and the clawshot latched onto it, pulling the monster down towards Link. He raised his sword, and slashed at the monster as soon as it was within range. It tried to block his attacks while simultaneously attacking back and trying to get back into the air, but Link was faster. Soon the monster vanished into dark smoke, roaring at Link as it died. He turned back to Zelda, and saw that she was dealing the final blow to the other Aeralfos, which vanished as well. Finally, the bars over the other door lifted. Without exchanging a word, they went through.

-o-

As soon as they were through the door it slammed shut behind them, and bars shot across it. Link looked suspiciously around the room. On the far side was another door, also barred, but Link could see no obvious way to open it. There were no fans in this room, no holes in the floor, no monsters, no traps, nothing. It was bare… except for what looked like an empty suit of armour in the centre.

Link drew his sword, approaching carefully. The armour looked as though it belonged to a formidable warrior. The face was covered entirely by a metal mask, but Link was certain there was no-one inside. He didn't get too close though, as the armour held a large battle-axe, which looked as though it could cut Link in two with one slice. But when there was still no reaction, and no other obvious way to open the door, he stepped closer and cautiously prodded the armour with his sword. Nothing. Behind him Zelda sighed.

'Link, it's just a suit of armour. It's not going to do anything.' Determined to prove her wrong, Link slashed angrily at it with his sword. Immediately it sprang to life, raising its axe and slashing at Link. He quickly backflipped out of the way, retreating to where Zelda was standing.

'Just a suit of armour, right?' he asked sarcastically.

'Don't be so immature,' Zelda shot back, diving to the side as the animated armour approached.

'Okay, so what is that thing?' he asked while circling round the monster from behind.

'I think it's an Iron Knuckle. They're very strong, and that armour protects them from most attacks. Our best bet would just be to keep attacking it and hope we find a weak point.'

'Got it,' Link said, leaping into the air and bringing his sword down on the Iron Knuckle. He managed to knock a piece of its armour to the ground, but had to roll to the side as the monster attacked, its axe lodging deep in the floor. While it tried to pull the weapon out, Link and Zelda took the opportunity to attack frantically, knocking off more pieces of armour. With a wrench, the monster succeeded in reclaiming its axe, and immediately swiped at the heroes. Link just managed to get out of the way in time, but without most of its armour the monster was lighter and faster.

It advanced quickly on Link, who tried to run backwards without taking his eyes off it. Luckily he managed to distract the monster long enough for Zelda to attack it from behind with a yell. It spun round, and she tried to run, but she was stuck in the corner. Without thinking about what he was doing, Link raised his sword skywards and charged it, unleashing a Skyward Strike into the Iron Knuckle's back. It took a step forward, faltered, and fell to its knees, before vanishing into purple smoke.

'Thank you,' Zelda managed, and Link could see that she was shaken. He muttered something before turning to the door. The bars vanished, but as Link started towards the door a dustcloud formed in the centre of the room, revealing an ornate treasure chest. He quickly opened it, but frowned when he saw the contents.

'What's this supposed to be?' he asked, picking up the metallic rod and giving it an experimental swish. Suddenly an orb of bright white light glowed at the end, and Link felt himself falling. When he got his bearings, he saw Zelda lying on the floor next to him, groaning.

'Whatever that was, don't do it again,' she said. Link looked around the room, and frowned.

'The doors have gone!' He was surrounded by four blank walls. But Zelda was looking past him, and up.

'Not exactly…' she said, pointing. Link turned around and gasped. The two doors were still there, but they were upside down.

'What happened?' Link asked. 'Did the room turn upside down?' He looked suspiciously at the rod, holding it away from him.

'I don't think so,' Zelda replied, holding out her hand. 'Give that to me.' Link was reluctant, but did as he was told. 'Good. Now brace yourself.' She waved the rod, and this time Link was ready for the fall. He managed to flip and land on his feet, and was relieved to see the doors back in their proper place. 'I think this is some kind of gravity rod,' Zelda said, examining it. 'When you use it, it flips gravity. So instead of standing on the floor, we end up standing on the ceiling. Should be useful in a place like this.' She handed it back to him, and he looked at it, being careful not to activate it. He thought back to the other cloud buildings, with their upside down entrances.

'Yeah, very useful,' he said. But Zelda was already gone, heading through the door at the back of the room. Link hurried after her, and had to shield his eyes from the bright light. They were back outside, right next to one of the other buildings. The entrance was at the top, and looking up Link saw a cloud platform directly above them.

'You know what to do,' Zelda told him, and he waved the gravity rod. He landed expertly on his feet, and, taking a moment to let his head stop spinning, entered the next part of the temple.

-o-

When he walked into the new room, Link was immediately confronted with a wall. It rose straight up in front of him, completely blocking his path. Looking up, he saw that there was a gap at the top, large enough for someone to walk through, if only they could get up there. He looked down at the gravity rod still in his hand, and waved it, completely forgetting about Zelda.

'A little warning would be nice next time,' she groaned as she picked herself up. Link ignored her and set off under the wall. Another one quickly rose, so he flipped gravity again (with a quick muttered warning to Zelda), and went through the gap. He was greeted by a pair of Deku Babas, and quickly slashed at them with his sword. However, as he did so he dropped the gravity rod. Instead of falling down to his feet, it fell up past his face, landing on the ceiling – or, as Link supposed it should properly be called, the floor.

'Interesting,' Zelda remarked. 'The shift in gravity only affects us, not other items as well. As far as that rod's concerned, gravity is still working downwards, so it falls downwards. Which puts it out of our reach. And of course, without the rod, we can't shift gravity back to reach it. Quite a conundrum.' She leaned against the wall. 'Ideas?' Link glared at her, trying to think. He was annoyed at her for making fun of him, but he was also annoyed at himself for dropping the rod. He looked up at it.

 _There has to be a way to get it back_ , he thought. _I am not going to spend the rest of my life trapped on this ceiling with her_. Suddenly inspiration struck, and he pulled out his clawshot.

'Now don't drop it,' Zelda warned patronisingly. Ignoring her, Link shot it at the gravity rod then retracted it, and to his relief it held the rod clutched in its claws. Smiling brightly at Zelda, he continued across the room. Soon he came to another wall and flipped gravity again (conveniently forgetting to tell Zelda beforehand), allowing him to go under the wall. Near the ceiling on the other side was a single unbarred door. Link was surprised that it would be so easy, but decided not to complain. Flipping gravity, he strode through, with Zelda following. The door led them outside again, a short jump from the next building. He leapt across the gap with ease, and was about to open the next door when Zelda caught his arm.

'Look over there,' she told him. Link followed her gaze, but saw nothing, just wisps of cloud.

'What am I supposed to be looking at?' he asked.

'There! That's where the first building was, the one where we fought the Iron Knuckle!' Link frowned.

'But it's not there anymore.' Zelda rolled her eyes and sighed loudly.

'Yes, I know that! Look at those cloud wisps. Don't you think that if a building made of cloud was crashed into by something strong and very big, the ruins would look a bit like that?' Link's eyes widened. He did think it would look like that.

'So… you're saying that while we were in that last room, something enormous smashed into that other building and destroyed it? But we could have been in there! We'd have been killed!' Together they looked back at the building they had just emerged from.

'Do you think that one will still be there in a few minutes?' Zelda asked nervously.

'Do you really want to stay and find out?' Link asked. As one they hurried through into the next building.

-o-

A/N: And just like that, Link and Zelda are fighting again. Sigh. I'm starting to lose all hope for those two.

Also, I decided to add my own item (the gravity rod) for this temple. I figured it would be cool to have some gravity-related puzzles. And it's another way for Link to annoy Zelda.

The Temple of Power is pretty long, so I've split it up over two chapters. Tomorrow is the second half.


	24. Chapter 24: The Temple of Power

A/N: As promised, the rest of the Temple of Power.

-o-

The next room was entirely bare, except for a large metal block sitting on the ground. A barred door was set into the far wall. But Link was getting accustomed to the temple by now, and instinctively looked up. There was a structure on the ceiling, four walls making a square, enclosing something. Link stood directly underneath the structure, and looking up saw that there was a blue switch in the centre.

'One of us needs to push that down,' he informed Zelda.

'Or…' she said, gesturing to the block. 'If we push this thing directly underneath the switch, then flip gravity, it should fall onto the switch and hold it down, which will open the door.' Link nodded.

'Alright. Push it over here then.' Zelda glared at him, but tried to push the block anyway. After a few moments she gave up, red in the face.

'It's heavy. You'll have to help.' Link sighed, but went over to the block. He had to admit that Zelda was right, it really was heavy. But with their combined strength they managed to get it moving, and soon it was in the right place. Link waved the gravity rod and, as planned, the block fell straight up onto the switch, opening the bars on the door. Satisfied, Link waved the rod again so that they could reach the door, as it was currently on the ceiling. But to his dismay this caused the block to fall back down along with them, making the bars reappear. Zelda rolled her eyes, and Link tried his best to ignore her.

'If you've got all the answers, why don't you do it?' he challenged.

'I never said I had all the answers. But it's abundantly clear that you don't have them either,' she replied. Link glared, and tried to focus. He looked at the glowing ball of light on the end of the rod, then pointed it at the block and waved it experimentally. To his surprise and satisfaction, gravity was reversed for the block only, and it fell smoothly up onto the ceiling, leaving Link and Zelda on the floor. Link smiled to himself, ignoring Zelda, and strode over to the door.

'At least I have some of the answers,' he announced to the room at large. Behind him, he thought he heard Zelda growl under her breath.

-o-

Bars shot over the door behind them as soon as they were through, and they both drew their swords, expecting the worst. Their fears were confirmed when purple smoke filled the room, fading to reveal Deku Babas, Keese, and a pair of Aeralfos.

'You take that side of the room, I'll take this one,' Zelda instructed Link, before running off to deal with the monsters on her appointed side. Grumbling to himself, Link blocked an incoming Keese before slashing through the swarm, turning to slice through the stem of a Deku Baba. A screech from above made him roll to the side without thinking, as one of the Aeralfos dive-bombed the spot where he had been moments before. He slashed at it as it passed, making it fall to the ground, and he quickly performed a jump attack to kill it. Another Deku Baba lunged at him, but before he could deal with it Zelda cut the stem.

'Hey! That was on my side!' Link yelled at her, feeling foolish even as he said it.

'Are you seriously arguing about this?' Zelda replied, shooting a light arrow at a swarm of Keese. 'Besides, I finished my side. What's taking you so long?' Link narrowed his eyes, but at that moment a sharp claw scratched his shoulder, reminding him that there were still monsters to take care of. He quickly killed the Keese which had injured him, before taking out the final Deku Baba. When the room was clear of monsters, he looked at the wound on his shoulder.

'You're hurt!' Zelda cried behind him, and Link turned in surprise, wondering if he had somehow missed a bigger wound. But Zelda was looking at his shoulder, while rummaging in her pouch and handing him a red potion. 'Here. Are you alright?' Link was confused. This seemed much more like the old Zelda, genuinely concerned for his wellbeing.

'Why are you acting like you care?' Link asked, harsher than he intended. Immediately Zelda's expression hardened, and her walls went back up.

'Fine then. Just so you know, when someone tries to check if you're okay, the polite thing to do is accept their concern, not attack them for it. Besides, I only care because you'll be in no fit state to fight Demise if you're injured.' She turned on her heel and strode towards the door. Link glared at her retreating back, then down at the potion still in his hand. For a moment he considered refusing to drink it just to spite her, but the stinging in his shoulder overruled that idea. Grumbling to himself, he followed Zelda through to the next room.

-o-

Link's first thought when he saw the room was that he had somehow circled back to the first room of the temple. It looked very similar, with the same narrow walkway and the fans which threatened to blow him off to his death. But looking up he saw that there were no clawshot points in this room. Instead, there were more fans on the ceiling, blowing in all directions, and there were holes in the ceiling too. He'd have to be careful not to be blown into them. On the far side of the room was an unlocked door, and on the ceiling above was a treasure chest. Nodding to himself, Link turned to Zelda.

'Ready?' he asked, more out of courtesy than actual interest. She nodded, and Link waved the gravity rod, flipping them onto the ceiling. Carefully they made their way across the room, making no attempt to talk over the raging wind from the fans. Link noted bitterly that Zelda went out of her way to find a different path from him, on the other side of the room.

 _Fine_ , he thought. _If she doesn't want to be near me, then I don't want to be near her either!_ A voice at the back of his mind queried this, asking if this was really the best and most mature course of action, but Link ignored it. If Zelda was going to be immature, then so was he. They converged on the treasure chest at the same moment, but Zelda opened it first. Puzzled, she held aloft a smoky white crystal.

'What do you think this is?' she asked. Link shrugged.

'No idea. Must be important though.'

'Yes, probably,' Zelda said, putting the crystal in her pouch. She turned when she realised Link was staring at her.

'Why do you get to keep it?' he asked. Zelda rolled her eyes.

'Link, stop being an idiot. You've already got the gravity rod to worry about, it makes sense that I should hang onto this thing.' Link folded his arms and glared, making Zelda sigh in frustration. 'Ugh, fine! You're impossible, you know that?' she said, handing him the crystal. Link waved the gravity rod, flipping them back onto the floor by the open door. He held it open to let Zelda go through first and she strode past, nose in the air. Link rolled his eyes and followed her. He kept telling himself that Zelda was the impossible one, after all she had started all of this. But the little voice at the back of his mind kept asking, _wasn't it nicer when you two were friends?_

 _-o-_

Link surveyed the next room, and to his surprise it looked very similar to the second room. The platforms were here again, and Link could see the gleam of silver rupees. There were no fans this time though, and some of the rupees were on the underside of the platforms, so Link knew he'd have to use the gravity rod to reach them. As he took a step forward however, he felt the ground move under his feet. Looking down, he saw that he'd trodden on a switch. There was a metallic sound behind him, then a gasp from Zelda. He turned round, and saw that his friend was now trapped behind solid metal bars, which reached all the way to the ceiling. There was no way out, unless Link could find a way to remove the bars and free her. But looking at the expression on Zelda's face, Link wasn't sure he wanted to free her just yet.

'You idiot!' she yelled. 'What was that for? Can't you even manage to take a single step without triggering some trap? This is great. Now I'm stuck here, and you can go get yourself killed all by yourself. Brilliant.' Link raised his hands to still her wrath.

'Look, I'm sorry, it was an accident. I'll get you out of there, I promise.' Zelda glared.

'Fine. But give me the gravity rod.'

'What? No, I need that! See those rupees? How am I going to get those without the rod?'

'I wasn't saying you shouldn't use it. I'm telling you to give it to me. _I'll_ use it, you just focus on not falling down any holes.' Link tried to protest, but Zelda ignored him. 'Just think if you drop it in one of those holes. Then I'll be stuck here forever, and for all we know you may be trapped upside down on some tiny platform forever. And you've just proved that you can't be trusted not to mess things up.' Link sighed, but realised that he really didn't have much of a leg to stand on at this point. He grudgingly handed over the gravity rod, passing it through the bars.

'Good. Now off you go.' He turned and went to stand beneath the nearest platform, but as soon as he reached it he felt himself being hurled towards the ceiling. 'Sorry, forgot to warn you,' Zelda said. 'It's annoying when that happens, isn't it?' He glared at her, then started leaping from platform to platform, collecting the rupees as he went. He had to admit, Zelda was good with the gravity rod. She reversed gravity while he was in mid-jump, timing it exactly so he landed precisely where he wanted to go. If he was less annoyed at her, he would have praised her.

But eventually the last rupee was in his hand, and he heard the metallic sound again as the bars imprisoning Zelda vanished. She gave the gravity rod one last wave, dropping Link to the floor, before tossing the rod back to him. The bars blocking the door at the end of the room also vanished, and together the two Hylians went through.

-o-

The door led them back outside, and once Link's eyes adjusted to the bright light he saw that they were standing at the foot of a cloud staircase. He ascended carefully, keeping a lookout for whatever had destroyed the buildings before. He certainly didn't want to encounter it now. The staircase led to a wide platform in the open sky, which faced the enormous sphere of clouds Link had seen before.

When he reached it, he looked all around, but could find no clue as to what they were supposed to do next. The obvious choice would be to enter the sphere of cloud, but there was no path leading to it, and Link knew that Loftwings refused to fly through thick clouds. He turned to Zelda, but she was staring fixedly past him, back the way they had come. He turned, and gasped.

'I-It's all gone!' he managed. The Temple of Power had been completely destroyed, in the same manner as the first building. All that remained were a few wisps of cloud. The final room they had just left was still intact, but the rooms behind it were gone. 'But… we were in that building! Whatever this thing is, it destroyed the clouds while we were just in the next room! How could it have done that without us seeing or hearing anything?' Zelda shook her head slowly.

'I have no idea.' Suddenly a great rush of air passed Link, as if something gigantic had flown straight past the platform they were on. He looked around frantically, but he could see nothing. 'You felt that too?' Zelda asked. Before Link could answer, the final room of the temple exploded into wisps of clouds, as if the same gigantic invisible being had smashed straight through it. As Link watched in horror, the same thing happened to the staircase leading to the platform they were standing on.

'There's nothing there!' he yelled. 'What's doing this? There's nothing there!' But clearly there was something, because it rushed overhead, straight towards the sphere of cloud. As the Hylians watched, the invisible being ploughed through the wall of the sphere, which healed itself after the monster passed.

'Whatever that thing is…' Zelda said slowly. 'I strongly suspect we're going to have to fight it.' Link sighed. He suspected the same thing.

'But how do we get to it?' he asked. Zelda thought for a moment.

'Would it be alright if I troubled you for that crystal back?' she asked with fake politeness. Rolling his eyes, Link handed it to her. Zelda turned it over in her hands, watching as the sunlight was refracted through it. Suddenly she held it aloft, and Link was blinded as it caught the sun's rays. A single golden beam shot down from the heavens, through the crystal, and straight ahead to the cloud sphere. Where it hit the clouds writhed, forming a red symbol of three wavy lines.

'The mark of Din!' Link gasped, and shuddered as memories of Casineb bearing the same mark returned to him. The symbol glowed for a moment, then vanished, leaving behind a hole in the cloud sphere. Link was about to leap from the platform and summon his Loftwing, when a voice sounded in his head.

'Hylians… Chosen ones of the goddesses… Hurry…' The voice sounded weak and faint, as if the speaker had little strength left. Link turned to Zelda.

'Was that…'

'Din,' she confirmed. 'It has to be. Nayru spoke to me in the Temple of Wisdom, Farore spoke to you in the Temple of Courage, and now Din is speaking to both of us here. But I'm worried; she doesn't sound too good. I don't want to think about what that means.'

'Me neither,' Link replied. 'But we're close. We'll find some way to beat that thing, whatever it is, and then we'll be able to claim the Triforce of Power and meet Din in person.' Zelda nodded, although she didn't look convinced. Link leapt from the platform, whistling for his Loftwing, and when it caught him he headed straight for the cloud sphere. His bird flew through the gap and tilted, letting Link jump off, before flying back out the same way. Zelda's bird did the same, and as soon as the blue bird was through the hole it sealed itself, trapping the Hylians inside the arena.

-o-

Link drew his sword and stepped forward cautiously, looking around the arena. It split the sphere in two, separating the top hemisphere from the bottom. Link looked up, but saw nothing, only the high clouds above. He couldn't see into the dome below the floor, but he knew the boss might be hiding down there. Then again, given that he couldn't see it, the monster could be right in front of him and he wouldn't know. He shivered.

'Is this creeping you out as well?' Zelda asked from behind him.

'Yes. How are we supposed to fight this thing if we don't know where it is?' But just then he felt a rush of air from beneath his feet, as if something very large was moving very fast beneath the floor. He gripped his sword tighter and raised his shield, looking all around for any sign of the boss. Suddenly the cloud floor in the centre of the arena burst upwards, as if something large had broken through. The hole quickly healed itself, but Link was busy looking for the monster. It flew past overhead, the wind of its passage nearly knocking Link over, but still he couldn't hear or see anything. A golden projectile shot past him, straight up into the air.

'What are you doing?' he yelled as Zelda drew another light arrow.

'We've got to try something!' she replied, shooting another arrow. Link followed its flight and gasped as a dark shape suddenly appeared in mid-air where the arrow hit. It flickered into nothingness again after less than a second, but Link had seen enough. The boss was gigantic, the largest monster he had ever faced. It resembled a worm, or a centipede, with a long armoured body and formidable jaws. It had something like a red jewel at the end of its tail, and Link guessed that would be its weak spot.

'Looks like it becomes visible when it's hit!' he yelled to Zelda. But he knew that hitting it would still be a matter of luck more than anything else. Suddenly he was thrown to the ground as something enormous barrelled into him.

'Are you okay?' Zelda asked, picking herself up as she was also hit.

'Yeah, I think so. Where did it go?' As if in answer, the cloud floor near him collapsed into mist, as the boss flew back down below the floor.

'Right, we need a plan of attack,' Zelda said. 'Next time it comes up, I'll try to hit it with my arrows, so we know where it is. Then, somehow, you need to get up to its tail and attack that jewel. Hmm… Oh, the gravity rod! That'll do it. Wait until you're beneath the monster – I'll try to make it visible long enough for you to see it – then use the rod. You should flip up onto the monster's underside. Then you can run along to the tail and attack it. Alright? Alright.'

Link opened his mouth to object, but thought better of it. The plan sounded dangerous, but it would probably work. And it wasn't as though Link had any better ideas. Right on cue, the clouds across the arena boiled up as the boss emerged again. Immediately Zelda shot it, and it flickered for a moment, long enough for Link to start running to a point he thought was below the monster. He checked his position as Zelda shot the boss again, then waved the gravity rod and flipped smoothly up onto the monster's body, which surprisingly stayed visible. Link supposed it was probably because he was in contact with it.

He ran along to the tail, jumping over the ridges in its armour, and trying not to fall as the tail segments waved from side to side. Fortunately, it seemed as though he was too small and too light for the monster to notice him, so it didn't try to shake him off. However, as soon as he reached the red jewel and started stabbing away at it, the monster realised what was going on. It smashed its tail against the walls of the sphere, but the soft cloud did little to impede Link.

Eventually however, the monster started to dive. The tail rose vertically and Link felt himself falling upwards, so he quickly waved the gravity rod again and landed back on the arena. He looked over at Zelda, but before he could re-join her the clouds between them rose again, and Link sighed. As soon as Zelda shot the boss, Link flipped onto its underside and made his way to the tail. But when he was halfway there the monster suddenly bucked, diving down. Link clung on to an armoured ridge, wondering why the monster was retreating beneath the floor so quickly. But instead he saw that it was heading straight for Zelda. She ran to the side, but the boss flicked its body round, preparing to smash into her.

Link looked around frantically, trying to think of anything he could do to help, and his eyes landed on the gravity rod still in his hand. He quickly waved it at her, and watched in relief as she shot up to the ceiling moments before the boss' tail crashed into the spot where she had just been. Letting out a long breath, Link continued to climb towards the boss' tail, drawing his sword. He raised it above his head, then plunged it down hard into the jewel. The monster rolled and screeched, but Link didn't move. Finally the jewel shattered into red shards, and the boss began to fall. Link leapt from its back and waved the gravity rod, landing safely on the arena as the now-visible boss crashed through.

'Hey! A little help up here?' Zelda called from above. Rolling his eyes, Link waved the gravity rod vaguely upwards, jumping a little when Zelda landed right next to him. 'Thanks. Next time, try doing it with even less enthusiasm,' she said sarcastically.

'I saved your life. Next time, try acting even more ungrateful,' Link replied in the same tone. But their bickering was interrupted by a red light from behind them. Turning and shielding his eyes, Link saw that the clouds in the centre of the arena had become a red platform, with the symbol of Din engraved in the centre. Smiling, he ran over to it, followed by Zelda.

'This must be it! The entrance to the Sacred Realm!' she said excitedly.

'Yeah…' Link replied, then looked back at the hole the boss had created. The hairs on the back of his neck were rising. 'Are we absolutely sure that thing's dead?' he asked. Suddenly he took a step back as the entire arena floor dissipated into white mist, revealing the whole of the sphere. Only the red platform they stood on remained; beyond it, Link could see all the way to the distant walls of the sphere in every direction.

Link crouched carefully on the edge of the platform, peering down to the bottom of the sphere. The body of the monster lay coiled up below, motionless. Link frowned. It certainly looked dead, but then why hadn't the body vanished? Wasn't he supposed to get a heart container when the boss was really dead? Suddenly, there was a crackling noise as the behemoth creature shifted slightly.

'Er… Zelda…' Link said nervously. 'I think it's ready for round two.' He watched in horror as the boss raised itself into the air, spiralling round underneath the platform. It coiled in on itself, tighter and tighter until it was lost in a cloud of darkness. Suddenly four enormous wings burst from the cloud, and gleaming red eye opened, dispelling the blackness. The boss flapped each of its wings a few times, as if to test out its new body, then it flew high up into the air, towering above the Hylians. Link gulped. It resembled a moth, if moths were the stuff of nightmares. It had four dark wings, veined with red, and a dark body where the massive red eye gleamed. The monster had retained its vicious mandibles from its first form, and it clashed them together angrily. Link gulped.

'Do you think it's still annoyed at us for trying to kill it before?' he asked nervously.

'Take a wild guess,' Zelda replied, drawing her sword. Link did the same, and took a deep breath. The boss let out an ear-shattering screech, then shot down towards the platform.

-o-

Link dived to the side, but this threw him off the platform completely. As he fell he instinctively whistled, then felt stupid for doing so. His Loftwing couldn't reach him in here. But to his surprise, he heard his bird's familiar call from just outside the cloud sphere. Evidently the bird was trying to reach its master. But it couldn't get through the cloud barrier, and Link was still falling.

Suddenly a bright orange light shone from behind him. Link rolled in mid-air to look, and gasped as he saw Zelda also falling. But she was surrounded by a corona of flames, and Link realised she was using Din's Fire. She had her eyes closed, concentrating fiercely, then the fire shot away from her, heading downwards towards the bottom of the cloud sphere. Where it hit, it burned the clouds away, creating a large hole. It healed itself quickly, but not before two streaks, blue and red, shot into the sphere. Link laughed with relief as his Loftwing caught him, checking to make sure that Zelda's had done the same. When he was satisfied, Link turned back to the enormous moth. It didn't look pleased that its prey had also gained the power of flight, and it screeched at them again.

'That eye must be its weak spot!' Zelda called. 'But I don't know how we're going to hit it. It looks the same as the tail jewel from before, so my light arrows won't do any damage. Got any ideas?' Link thought for a moment, looking down at his bird. It caught his eye and squawked, then shot forward in a quick spiralling attack. Suddenly Link remembered Farore's Trial, and his fight with Levias.

'If I can get close enough, I can get my Loftwing to attack the eye! I think the bird will be strong enough to do some damage!' Link shouted back, before setting off straight for the eye. But as soon as he got close, the moth brought its wings in front of its glowing eye before opening them quickly, blowing Link back.

'Looks like you can't get close enough!' Zelda yelled, coming up to join him.

'Hmm. That's a problem.' Link thought about it while dodging another attack from the boss. His bird squawked again and Link looked, hoping for more guidance. But the Loftwing just flew closer to Zelda's bird, which also let out a loud cry.

'I think they're telling us to work together,' Zelda said, and Link rolled his eyes.

'Yeah, great plan. Your bird can't do this attack, and you said yourself, your arrows can't damage the eye.'

'No… but maybe I can stun it!' Zelda said, urging her bird forwards. As she passed in front of the moth she let loose a light arrow straight into its eye. As she predicted, it did no damage, but the bright light did stun the boss. Its wings became motionless, and Link took his chance. He headed straight for the eye, dug his heels into his bird's back, and clung on as it spiralled into the eye. The moth screeched again, fanning frantically with its wings and blowing Link back, but the damage was done. The jewel-like eye was cracked.

'So it does work,' Zelda said smugly. 'Maybe next time you should listen to your bird.' Before Link could reply she had flown off again, shooting another arrow and stunning the monster. Link urged his bird into a steep dive, heading for the eye, and braced himself as the bird smashed into the eye. Again the moth screeched, but looking back at it Link saw that the cracks had deepened.

'One more time should do it!' he yelled, and Zelda nodded, shooting a final arrow. For the last time, Link steered his bird towards the moth, and the eye shattered completely. The boss screeched louder than before, flailing its wings as it fell to the bottom of the sphere. As it hit, the entire cloud sphere melted away into mist, giving the Hylians a clear view of the sky in every direction. The boss vanished into dark smoke, and when it cleared there was no body, only a single glittering object. As Link watched, it flew up and landed on the red platform. The Hylians jumped from their Loftwings, and Link saw that the object was a heart container. He gratefully allowed it to heal him, before turning back to the symbol of Din engraved on the platform. But he saw that Zelda was still looking down, to the point where the boss had been.

'What's wrong?' Link asked, worried that she had detected signs of it coming back to life.

'Nothing. It's just… well, now we're going to claim the final piece of the Triforce, and then we'll defeat Demise. So there'll be no more temples, and no more bosses. We're done.' Link nodded slowly. He wouldn't miss the temples, where everything tried to kill him, or the bosses, who did pretty much the same thing. But in a strange way he felt sad, as though an era had come to an end. But he quickly shrugged it off.

'I'm looking forward to being able to relax, and not worry about where the next temple is or in what way the next boss is going to try to kill me,' he said. 'And speaking of the final piece of the Triforce, shall we get on with it?' Zelda nodded, and came to stand next to him. When nothing happened for a moment, she asked,

'So what now?' Link thought abut it.

'Well, for the last two pieces we each needed to prove that we were the right people, with the Master Sword or your Goddess Harp. But for this one we probably need to do something different.' Suddenly he felt a warm glowing sensation in his left hand. Looking down, he saw that his Triforce mark was shining gently. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the same thing had happened to Zelda's mark. Wordlessly, they knelt down and placed their hands on the symbol of Din. The symbol glowed brightly with red light, and the Hylians vanished.

-o-

A/N: The final temple is done! Wooo! And tomorrow's chapter is a lot more fun. Hyra gets involved again...


	25. Chapter 25: A Warning and a Kiss

A/N: This chapter is probably my favourite one so far. Hope you like it too!

-o-

When Link opened his eyes, he saw that he was standing in the middle of a circular room, lined with windows on all sides. The circle Link was standing in was surrounded by a golden barrier of light, but this had been violently shattered on one side. Looking around, Link saw other barriers, in concentric circles around him, but they had all been shattered in the same place, creating a straight path from where Link stood to the edge of the room, where the symbol of the Triforce glowed softly.

'What's going on?' Link asked, confused. He recognised this place as a part of the Sacred Realm, so this room had to be the final test before claiming the Triforce of Power. But…

'It looks like someone's been here before us,' Zelda said, examining the barriers. 'Look at this. The test of Power was probably to get through these barriers. Someone's done that already.'

'Someone…' Link echoed, dreading to think who that someone might be. In his heart, he already knew, but he refused to accept it. Instead he looked around the room again, searching for some other clue, something, anything which suggested that they weren't too late. But as he looked out one of the windows, his worst fears were confirmed.

'Zelda. Look.' She did so, and gasped. Before, Link had seen the Sacred Realm as a glowing, golden land of green fields, with a golden twilight sky. But now it was a place of darkness. The fields were gone, replaced with dark, barren rock, and the sky was blood-red, with black clouds. 'What happened to it?' Link asked, unable to believe his eyes. Zelda shook her head.

'What do you know of the Sacred Realm, young ones?' a female voice asked, making the Hylians jump. Link realised that the voice was in his head, and Zelda's, and recognised it from before.

 _Din_ , he thought.

'Yes, Link. I am Din, Goddess of Power. Allow me to tell you what tragedy has befallen this place. The Sacred Realm is a mirror, which reflects what is in the heart. When someone comes to claim the Triforce as their own, if their heart is pure, the Sacred Realm will become a paradise. But if that person's heart is wicked, the Realm will become a world of evil. That is what has happened here.' Link's heart raced, knowing what this meant.

 _So… this person with an evil heart…_

'Yes. Demise has been here before you.'

 _No. No, that can't be right! We can't be too late!_ Link thought, panicked. He ran through the shattered barriers to the Triforce symbol, ignoring Zelda's shouts. When he stepped on it the world faded to darkness, and he looked around desperately. As he turned he saw Zelda appearing in the darkness next to him.

'Zelda, there _has_ to be something we can do! We can't have failed, not now, not after all this!' Zelda opened her mouth to reply, but then her eyes widened as she looked at a figure behind Link. He turned, and saw the red-eyed, golden figure of Din. One look at the goddess' impassive face was enough for the last shreds of hope to fade from Link's heart. 'We really are too late, aren't we,' he said flatly. It wasn't a question. Beside him, Zelda knelt.

'O mighty Din, we have failed you.' But the goddess shook her head solemnly.

'No, Zelda. It is I who have failed you. I tried to protect my piece of the Triforce from that monster, but he was too strong. He may not be a god in name or in birth, but he has the power of a god. And now he holds a piece of the Triforce.'

Link looked down at the darkness that was the ground, unable to speak. He had the same empty, deadened feeling in his heart he had felt when he had watched Casineb kill Tam. The knowledge that he was too late, it was his fault. He could have, _should_ have done something. But it was all too late now. And this time, there would be no magical reincarnation. This was the end.

-o-

'Link.' He looked up, alert when he heard Din addressing him. 'Do not lose hope. There is still a chance. It is slim, yes. But there is a chance.'

'What is it?' Link asked. 'How can we defeat Demise now? He's much stronger than us.' Din smiled serenely.

'He was much stronger than your ancestor, too. And yet the Hero of the Skies managed to defeat Demise, even with the Demon King's godlike strength. And remember, things are different this time. Now, you are not alone.' Link looked over his shoulder at Zelda. Despite their arguments, their kiss, all the anger between them, Link was still glad to have his friend there. He smiled, and a warm feeling settled in his heart when Zelda smiled back.

'And do not forget,' Din continued, 'that you two also bear pieces of the Triforce. You have the forces of Courage and Wisdom on your side, and I will aid you as much as I can.'

'Thank you,' Zelda said, coming forward and taking Link's hand. 'We may not succeed in doing as you ask. But we will try.' Din nodded.

'Thank you, both of you. That is all I can ask of you, and I fear that I have asked too much already.' The Goddess of Power raised her arms, and Zelda vanished into red light. Link frowned, wondering why the goddess had sent his friend back into the world and not him. He saw Din's face, and his eyes widened. The goddess looked grave, and indescribably sad.

'Link. One of the gifts of the Golden Goddesses, or perhaps our curse, is to know all that has happened in this land of Hyrule, and all that will happen. Your people say that everything is the will of the Goddesses. But that is not true. We know what will happen, but we cannot change it. We had the power to create Hyrule, and all the living beings in it, but what you do after you are created is entirely up to you. When things happen, they are not the will of the goddesses. They are the will of mortal beings. When you suffer, believe me Link, we cry just as hard as you do. And there is nothing we can do to change that.'

With these final solemn words, Din raised her arms once more, and Link vanished into red light. As he was transported back into Hyrule, he thought about Din's words. They had sounded almost like a consolation, as if Link had suffered already and Din was anxious to tell him that it wasn't the fault of the goddesses. But Link hadn't lost anything, not really. He remembered what Din had said about being able to see the future. With a shock, Link realised what Din was really saying. At some point in the future, against the will of the goddesses and against Link's will, he would suffer, and there was nothing anyone could do to change that.

Din's words weren't an apology. They were a warning.

-o-

When Link opened his eyes, he was surprised to find himself standing in the central plaza of Skyloft. He looked up at the sky, and was dismayed to see the sun setting on the horizon.

'We're trapped up here for another night,' Zelda said behind him. He turned to her, and saw that she was watching him with a puzzled expression. 'Where were you? Din transported me back out here, but you came a few minutes later. What was she saying to you?' Link was about to tell her, then stopped himself. He had no idea what the nature of his suffering would be, or if he had even interpreted Din's words correctly. Right now he had no reason to worry Zelda.

'She just reassured me that we've got a chance against Demise,' he lied, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. Zelda narrowed her eyes.

'Link, you always do that when you lie.' He immediately froze guiltily, then sighed.

'It's nothing, okay? She just warned me that something bad might happen, and if it does the goddesses aren't to blame.' He expected Zelda to question him further, since this 'something bad' might affect her too, but she stayed silent. She opened her mouth slightly, as if she was going to say something, then shook her head.

'Fine. Well, I'm going to get an early night. We need to get going as soon as possible tomorrow. Now that we know Demise has the Triforce of Power, we know what he's capable of. We need to defeat him as quickly as we can, before he does any more damage.' She turned and strode off towards the Academy.

'Wait!' Link called. 'Are you leaving right now? Can't we… I don't know, talk for a bit?' Zelda turned and looked at him sadly.

'Link, the last time we were on Skyloft, we stayed up and talked for a bit, and we ended up kissing. I don't want that to happen again.' Link sighed.

'I wasn't suggesting we-'

'I know,' Zelda said calmly. 'But I can't trust you not to try to kiss me. To be honest, I can't trust myself to resist. It's not your fault, Link. You're in love, or at least you think you are. That's normal. But I can't trust you.' She turned and walked off, leaving Link alone in the deserted plaza. He glared at Zelda, then looked around for something to take his anger out on. He grabbed a small rock, tossed it in his hand a few times, then hurled it as far off Skyloft as he could. He watched it as it dropped out of sight towards the clouds below.

'If only everything could be that easy,' he muttered.

-o-

The next morning Link was woken by a pair of hands shaking him awake. When he had finally calmed down enough to go to sleep the night before, he hadn't been surprised to find his room empty. He hadn't bothered to look for Zelda. But she shook him now, yanking him back into consciousness.

'I'm awake, I'm awake,' he grumbled, sitting up. 'What time is it?'

'Sun's nearly up,' she replied. 'We need to go.' Link sighed and followed her out of the room. Today was the day. The day he was going to fight Demise. He took a few deep breaths to calm the pounding of his heart.

'Where are we going?' he asked Zelda as they walked. 'Other than back to the surface, of course. Where are we actually going to look for Demise?' Zelda frowned.

'I'm not sure. I suggest we head for Hyrule Town. Not because I suspect the Demon King is hiding there, but because it's as good a place as any to start. Besides, Impa knows about these things. She may be able to help.' Outside, he and Zelda leapt off the island and were quickly caught by their Loftwings, before they headed off to the gap in the clouds which lead back to the world below. When they reached it, Zelda wordlessly held out her Sailcloth, and Link grabbed the other corners, before they floated back down. Link looked out over Hyrule as they fell, sighing.

'If we fail, all this will be destroyed,' he said mournfully, gazing out over the vast expanse of Faron Woods. 'All the people we've met. All the places we've been. All gone.' He paused for a moment, then added, 'Still, no pressure.' Zelda tried unsuccessfully to hide her smile, making Link laugh. Soon they landed back in the Sealed Grounds, where their loyal horses were waiting for them. Link frowned, thinking about the long journey ahead of them.

'Isn't there some quicker way?' he asked Zelda. 'Can't you use your magic?' She shook her head regretfully.

'It's too far. The amount of energy I'd need to use to cast Farore's Wind and transport us all that distance would be immense. I'd be practically comatose by the time we got there. No, I'm sorry, but we'll have to go the long way. We both need to save our strength for this.' Link nodded, and climbed onto Epona's back.

'Hey, girl,' he said affectionately. 'Off to town again.' The chestnut mare seemed to understand, and galloped off down the path, followed by Zelda and Rhiannon.

-o-

As Hyrule Town grew closer, Link suddenly thought of something, and the realisation filled him with dread. Zelda wanted to see Impa, which would doubtless mean seeing Hyra. He still hadn't told Zelda about the way the Princess had acted last time, and he didn't want her to find out for the first time when she saw it for herself.

'Zelda!' he shouted over the wind. 'There's something I have to tell you! About the Princess!' Zelda frowned.

'Is she okay?'

'Yeah, but-' Suddenly another rider on dark horse galloped past them in the opposite direction, heading for the east. The Hylians looked at each other in surprise.

'What was that?' Link asked.

'No idea! Whoever they were, they were in a hurry. And why would they go to the east? There's nothing there except badlands filled with monsters…' Zelda trailed off, looking over at the direction the rider had gone. Link did too, and squinted. Was it his imagination, or were there dark clouds piled on the eastern horizon? By this time they had to dismount in order to navigate the crowded streets of the town, and Link tried in vain to get close enough to Zelda to tell her about Hyra. He certainly wasn't going to shout it across the crowd. But he couldn't reach her, and soon they were walking under the archway that opened onto Hyrule Castle. Zelda led the way inside, sweeping imperiously past the surprised guards with a firm, 'This is important.' Link shrugged apologetically at them.

'It really is,' he said, before following Zelda. Inside, the throne room was deserted except for one solitary guard, who hadn't expected to have to deal with intruders and was unnerved by the sight of Zelda striding down the room towards him.

'Is Impa here?' she demanded, and the guard bobbed his head nervously.

'Y-yes. Shall I fetch her for you?'

'Please,' Zelda replied, and the guard scurried off.

'If you scare Demise as much as you just scared that guard, we won't have anything to worry about,' Link commented dryly.

'We're in a hurry,' Zelda said with a shrug. After a few moments of silence, Link decided that it was now or never.

'Zelda, I-'

'What is taking so long? That's it, I'm going to look for Impa myself. You stay here in case that guard comes back,' Zelda ordered him, before going through the nearest door. Link went to follow her, but knew it was a bad idea. One of them had to stay. He sighed, and waited nervously. Suddenly a door at the back of the room opened, but the throne obscured the newcomer from Link's view.

 _PleasebeImpapleasebeImpapleasebeImpa_ , he thought frantically.

'Link! You're back!' a voice cried, and Link's heart sank. It wasn't Impa.

-o-

'Link? Is everything alright? Aren't you happy to see me?' Hyra asked.

'N-no, Your Majesty, of course I'm happy to see you,' Link managed. Hyra sighed.

'Link, how many times do I have to tell you? Please, call me Hyra. I hate it when you're so formal,' she said, taking a step closer. Link resisted the urge to take a step back, trying to focus.

'Hyra, it's not that I don't want to see you, it's just… after last time…' Hyra giggled.

'Yes, sorry about that. I did get a little carried away, didn't I? It won't happen again, I promise,' she said, winking. Link took a deep breath and tried another tactic.

'You haven't seen Impa, have you? Only, Zelda and I were looking for her. We need to find Demise, you know, the demon king. He's got a piece of the Triforce, so we need to defeat him as quickly as possible. But we don't know where he is. That's why we need Impa: we were hoping she would know how to find him.' Hyra nodded a few times.

'Yes, I see. Impa is definitely in the castle somewhere. I assume Zelda's gone off to search for her?' Link nodded, grateful for the change of subject. But Hyra wasn't finished. 'Link, I hope you won't think me rude, but I have to ask. You and Zelda… what is there between you? The way you look at each other, I can't tell if it's love, or just friendship. So what are you? Are you in love, or are you just friends?' Link looked at the floor, speechless. Eventually, in a low voice he said,

'I don't know anymore.' Hyra sighed and pulled Link into a hug, surprising him.

'You don't deserve to be played with like that,' she murmured in his ear. 'You deserve someone who loves you, and who admits that love. Someone who doesn't mind being loved in return.' Link frowned, but Hyra's words resonated with something inside him.

 _That's right_ , he thought. _If Zelda really loved me, she'd admit it. She wouldn't keep making excuses like this. Maybe she doesn't really love me after all…_ He sighed, and Hyra let go of him, holding him by the shoulders and looking into his eyes.

'So… when you find Demise, you're going to go off and fight him?' It took Link a moment to process the change of pace, but he nodded. 'But isn't that dangerous?' the Princess asked. Link shrugged.

'I guess. I don't really think about it that way. It's just something I have to do.'

'You're so brave,' Hyra said, but she looked sad. 'Link… please don't go after Demise!' she said suddenly, the words bursting out in a rush which surprised Link.

'Wh- Hyra, I have to!'

'But you could be killed! Please Link, don't go.'

'Someone has to.'

'Why does that someone always have to be you? Link, there are people who care about you, people who would miss you. People whose worlds would end if you were killed.' Hyra raised a hand and gently cupped Link's cheek. 'You don't always have to be the Hero,' she said softly. Link looked into her soft brown eyes, staring straight back at him. He was shocked to see tears gathering, threatening to spill down the Princess' pale cheeks.

 _She loves you_ , his inner voice said. _She wants you to stay with her, give up being a hero. You could rule by her side. You'd be happy here, with her. But would you be happier fighting Demise, and being with Zelda? Would you be happier being a Hero?_ Link was silent, thinking. _I have to make a choice, right now_ , he realised. _Zelda or Hyra. Hero or Prince. Danger or safety. What do I do? Who do I love?_ Without uttering a word, he leant towards Hyra and kissed her.

-o-

They stood there for what could have been a minute or a year, each enjoying the feeling of finally admitting their love for another, and having that love returned. Link felt as if a bubble of warmth was filling his chest as he kissed Hyra. But finally they broke apart, out of breath. They looked at each other and smiled.

 _This is the path I choose_ , Link thought.

'…Link?' A female voice spoke from behind him. Link spun round and gasped.

Standing in the middle of the throne room was Zelda.

-o-

Link stood there, unable to say anything. Zelda was speechless too, but the look of hurt and betrayal on her face spoke loud and clear. She turned to go, but Link, suddenly regaining the power of speech, called out to her.

'Zelda, wait! It- It wasn't like that! It's not what you think!' Zelda turned back and now her face was a mask of rage. Beside Link, he could feel Hyra bristling, and realised that the Princess wasn't too pleased by Link's attempt to minimise their kiss. She stepped in front of Link, standing between him and Zelda, and folded her arms.

'Actually, it was like that. It's exactly what you think,' she said, raising her chin and glaring at Zelda. 'Are you really surprised? This is what happens when you ignore a man time after time. You can't expect him to keep waiting for you forever.' Zelda's jaw dropped, utterly shocked at the Princess' outburst. But as Link thought desperately for something, anything to say to defuse the tension, Zelda put her hands on her hips and returned the Princess' glare.

'Oh, so that's what you think this is about? Link knows perfectly well why I act the way I act. _You_ on the other hand have no idea what you're talking about. This doesn't involve you, so I'd be very grateful if you could keep your nose out of our business!' Link wondered vaguely why girls were always so polite when they were arguing with each other. He thought that in some way the politeness made it worse. But he didn't have time to dwell on it, as Hyra was in full swing.

'Hah! _Our_ business? Please! I know you think it's just you and Link, alone together and separate from the rest of the world, but guess what? You're on your own now. Link's free of your spell, and he's realised who _really_ loves him!'

'Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realise being a shameless, jealous idiot was love!'

'Jealous? What in Din's name have I got to be jealous of? You? You're just some ice queen who thinks that denying all emotion somehow makes her better than everyone else!' Link's jaw dropped this time. 'Ice queen', true though it may be, was slightly harsh in his opinion. Zelda also looked visibly stung, but rallied quickly.

'You had no right to confuse Link like that!'

'I wasn't confusing him, _I_ actually love him, unlike _you_.' There was dead silence in the throne room. Link looked at Zelda, waiting for her to say something.

 _This is the moment_ , he thought. _She has to say it now. If she really does love me, she has to say it now_. For a moment, it looked as though Zelda would confess her feelings. She looked at Link, her bright blue eyes brimming with tears. In that moment Hyra vanished, and Link saw only Zelda, the pain hidden behind her eyes. But then the walls and the iron self-control returned, and, drawing herself up to her full height, Zelda turned to address Hyra. Her eyes suddenly began to glow bright blue, as they had the first time when Zelda confronted Hyra. Link saw that Zelda's Triforce mark was burning gold, and her tone was the same as the one she had used before: the utmost politeness, but laced with venom and ice.

'If you really cared about Link, you would stop being so selfish and let him be the Hero he truly is by letting him go fight Demise. No matter what, even if that means he'll get hurt, or you'll lose him. You have to let him be the person he really is.' Link gasped, realising that Zelda must have heard his and Hyra's entire conversation before the kiss.

 _Wait… did she come in when she did to stop us from kissing? Why would she do that, if she doesn't love me?_ He shook his head in disbelief. With one last look back at Link, Zelda turned on her heel and strode out of the throne room. Link watched her go, torn. He assumed that Zelda had found out where Demise was, and was now leaving to confront him. He knew he should follow her, help her, but he also wanted to stay with Hyra. The Princess watched the conflicting emotions pass over his face, and made his decision for him, grabbing his hand and kissing him softly on the cheek.

'Link, wait here. I'll be right back. I just need to talk to my guards, to make sure _someone_ doesn't come near us again.' Link didn't move as she left his side, still looking at the door Zelda had gone out of. But he looked up when he heard another door open, wondering if Hyra was back so soon. But instead, he saw Impa standing in the doorway. She looked grave, and instantly Link felt guilty. He remembered that Impa cared about both Hyra and Zelda, and she wanted to make sure neither girl got hurt. But that was exactly what had just happened. Link hung his head in shame.

'I've really messed this up, haven't I?' he asked flatly. Impa sighed heavily.

'Link, dear child, you could not have made things worse if you tried.'

-o-

'I am sorry for you,' Impa said, coming over to Link. He sighed and sat down on the steps leading up to the throne.

'Don't be. I have no right to be upset, this is all my fault.' Impa sat down next to him, groaning slightly.

'Well, I will say that neither girl was completely blameless. They have not made things easy for you.' Link sighed again.

'I'm just so confused!'

'Tell me,' Impa commanded. Link took a deep breath, trying to order his thoughts.

'All along I thought it was Zelda. I loved her and she loved me, simple. But she doesn't act like she loves me, and just now when Hyra challenged her, she didn't say that she loved me either. And I always thought of Hyra as just a princess – well, not just a princess, obviously, but I never thought of her in a romantic way before. But now she's being nicer to me than Zelda ever was. And anyway, Zelda always lets me go off into danger without a second thought, she even puts me in danger sometimes, but Hyra worries about me and tries to protect me. So now I don't know who loves me and who I really love, but… I think I want to stay here with Hyra.' Impa was silent for a long moment, turning Link's words over in her mind.

'What was the last thing Zelda said before she left?' she asked eventually. Link frowned, thinking back.

'She said… that if Hyra really loved me she would let me be a Hero, even if that meant I would get hurt and she would lose me.'

'Ah,' Impa said sadly.

'What is it?' Impa shook her head, saying quietly,

'It seems as though she has not learnt from the mistakes her ancestor made. Although…' She paused for a moment, deep in thought, before turning back to the Hylian beside her. 'Link, in all your adventures, Zelda has seen you hurt many times, has she not? She has seen you near death. I am sure she worried about you.'

'Well, yes, of course she doesn't want me to get hurt,' Link said, 'but that doesn't stop her from letting me go off and do dangerous things.' Impa continued, undaunted.

'So Zelda does not want you to get hurt, but even so she has never stood in your way, even though it may cause her to lose you, because she knows that she cannot prevent you from being a Hero?' Link looked up and saw the old Sheikah looking at him with sharp, intelligent eyes.

'I suppose you could put it like that,' he said slowly. Impa smiled and looked away, satisfied. Link looked back down at the floor, thinking about what Impa had said. Suddenly he realised.

'Zelda wasn't saying that Hyra should let me go…' he said slowly. 'She was saying that she really does care about me, and that's why she lets me go off into danger. Not because she doesn't care as much as Hyra, but because she cares so much more than Hyra that she knows that the cruellest thing she could ever do would be to prevent me from accomplishing my destiny as the Hero. She wasn't attacking Hyra, she was defending her actions to me, and in doing so…'

'Confessing her love for you,' Impa finished sadly. Link's eyes widened, his memory replaying the vision of Zelda's face, her tears, her look of betrayal. Suddenly, it didn't matter anymore that they had argued, that Zelda had refused to acknowledge her feelings before. What mattered was that she loved him now.

'And I let her go off to face Demise alone,' Link whispered. He rose to his feet, then took off running, straight out the door of the throne room. Behind him he heard voices shouting, Hyra's among them, but he didn't look back. He leapt up onto Epona's back without slowing and galloped straight down the main road of the town. When he was safely outside its gates, he turned his horse towards the east. The dark clouds from before were higher now, and the visible sky was slowly turning blood-red. Link was sure that Demise was somewhere in the eastern badlands, which meant that Zelda would be there too.

'You ready for one last adventure, girl?' he asked Epona. She tossed her head and reared up, neighing loudly. 'Yeah,' Link said. 'Me too.' He kicked his heels into Epona's flanks and they raced off towards the badlands, ready to face the horrors within.

-o-

A/N: Sigh. I despair of Link and Zelda. And I'm not liking Hyra much right now. But we're finally off to the badlands which means, drumroll please, Demise is on the horizon! (And by the horizon I mean one or two chapters away.)


	26. Chapter 26: The Badlands

A/N: Big bad badlands time. Oh, and to the guest who reviewed: yes, Link really is dense.

-o-

Epona slowed to a walk as the terrain changed under her hooves, from fresh green grass to dark stone, littered with ash. Link urged her forward, drawing his sword. He had considered leaving his horse back on the safety of Hyrule Field, but decided that it would be easier to keep her with him. It might give him an advantage over the monsters he was sure he would have to fight. He tried to remember everything he had heard about the badlands. He recalled Zelda saying something about monsters of all kinds roaming there, and gulped. He wasn't looking forward to this.

Suddenly he heard a screech from above, and turned to see a flock of Keese heading directly for him. He slashed quickly with his sword, disposing of them, but the shock sent Epona into a gallop. Link tried hauling on the reins, but this just made his arms ache. Instead, he settled for just hanging on and hoping Epona knew what she was doing.

As they sped through the badlands, Link saw various monsters flash past, too stunned to attack. Looking ahead, he saw more monsters roaming around, but they fled when they saw the horse bearing down on them. One, a Stalfos, stood its ground and raised its swords, screaming at Link, but he drew his sword and slashed through its skull as he passed, watching as it collapsed into a pile of dust. A bump underfoot nearly threw Link from Epona's back, and looking behind him he saw that Epona had trampled straight over a group of Leevers. He smiled and patted the mare's neck. She neighed, but didn't slow down.

While they raced along, Link looked all around them, searching for some sign of Zelda or Demise. But steep walls of dark rock rose high on either side of him, blocking his view. Disappointed, Link looked ahead in the direction Epona was heading, and his eyes widened. A dark shape loomed on the horizon. As Link squinted, trying to get a better look, he saw that it was a large temple, built from the same dark stone of the surrounding badlands. It also reminded him of something, but he couldn't remember what. Shrugging, he decided that it was probably the best place to look for Demise, and urged Epona further down the path.

Soon he saw a large open space up ahead, and beyond that lay the dark temple. But as he smiled in relief, he heard a strange sound, like a hunting horn. He frowned, looking around, but couldn't find the source of the noise. He heard hoofbeats above him, and realised that something must be riding along the stone ridges on either side of him. For a moment he wondered if it was Zelda, but the hoofbeats didn't sound as though they belonged to a horse. Epona whinnied nervously, and Link suddenly remembered what the sound reminded him of: when he and Zelda had been riding across Hyrule Field, and they had been attacked by Bullbos and Bulblins.

He raised his bow, looking up for the monsters. He caught brief glimpses of them as they rode along above him, and whenever he did he quickly shot an arrow. Several monsters fell past him, their Bullbos rampaging off into the distance, but Link knew there were still more. Finally Epona made it out into the open space, and Link turned her around to face his enemies. He frowned, seeing only two Bulblins. But neither of them held a hunting horn, and at least one set of hoofbeats had sounded as though they belonged to something heavier…

Shaking himself, he shot both Bulblins, feeling grimly satisfied as they fell and were trampled beneath the hooves of the Bullbos. The giant boars turned to Link, growling, but suddenly stopped. They stepped back, tails between their legs and shaking, before turning and racing off down the path Link had come from. He frowned; surely he wasn't able to strike such fear into the monsters' hearts all by himself

But he heard a sudden bellow behind him, and spun round. Behind him was the largest Bullbo Link had ever seen, blue rather than brown and covered in heavy armour. Each of its horns was longer and thicker than Link's leg. Its eyes glowed red as it pawed the ground, steam coming from its nostrils. But Link's attention was taken up by its rider. It was a Bulblin, but a gigantic one, three times the size of the normal monsters. It also had impressive horns to match its mount, and wore equally heavy armour. In one hand it carried a huge battle-axe, which it waved at Link while bellowing again.

Link's eyes widened, realising that his arrows wouldn't be enough to pierce the thick armour. Epona backed away, but suddenly the Bullbo charged, knocking Link clean off her back. His sword and bow flew out of his hands, and he looked around desperately for them, but saw that the King Bulblin was between him and then. He thought desperately, trying to find some way to kill the monster, but came up with nothing. Suddenly he heard more hoofbeats, pounding down the track towards them.

 _Great_ , he thought sarcastically. _Just what I need._ But the King Bulblin looked surprised, grunting and looking back at the track. Evidently it hadn't expected reinforcements. At that moment three more Bullbos burst into the clearing, but Link gasped when he saw the riders: red, green, and a blue and a purple rider sharing the largest beast.

'Meg!' Link yelled, recognising the Poe sisters. They were back in their Hylian forms, but Link knew that didn't mean they weren't dangerous. He felt the reassuring shape of his boomerang in his pack. He didn't want to attack the Poes without cause, but if they became a threat he knew he would at least stand a chance. Meg caught his eye, saw what he was planning, and let out her high, eerie laugh. She stood up on the back of the Bullbo, holding her torch aloft. Suddenly she waved it at the King Bublin, and a burst of purple fire shot from the torch and engulfed the monster, which disappeared in purple smoke. Meg leapt from the back of the Bullbo she rode with Beth and onto the larger, armoured Bullbo, grabbing the reins as it reared.

'You spared our lives before,' she told a shocked Link. 'Now we've saved yours. Our debt is repaid. Hyah!' she yelled as she kicked her heels into the Bullbo's sides, racing back along the path out of the badlands, followed by her sisters. 'Give our regards to the Goddess!' Meg yelled as she disappeared out of sight.

-o-

Link let out a long sigh of relief. Epona neighed and came over, nudging her master.

'I'm fine,' he reassured her. But Meg's words reminded him that he still had to find Zelda. He quickly reclaimed his sword and bow, before looking ahead to the dark temple. The ground fell away just in front of him, and below he could see only darkness.

'Not going down there, then,' he muttered. A narrow and rickety bridge led over the pit, and on the other side the path continued, leading all the way up to the dark temple. Link was about to go over the bridge, but realised that it wouldn't take the combined weight of him and Epona. Sighing, he led his horse over to a protected nook in the rock, where she would hopefully be safe from monsters. But as he rounded the corner, he gasped. Rhiannon was already waiting there.

Link laughed with relief and patted the horse's neck. If Rhiannon was here, that had to mean Zelda had already gone over the bridge. She couldn't be far away now. But Rhiannon looked ill at ease, staring at something over Link's shoulder. He spun round, thinking about the King Bulblin from before. But he saw no monsters, only a dark horse. He frowned, trying to remember where he had seen it before. Then he realised: when he and Zelda had been close to Hyrule Town, a hooded rider on a dark horse had passed them, heading for the east. This was the same horse, meaning that the rider had to be close. Link drew his sword, knowing that whoever the rider was, they were probably bad news.

-o-

He inched carefully onto the bridge, hoping it would take his weight. He reassured himself that Zelda and the unknown rider had already made it across, but he was still relieved when he made it safely to the other side. He advanced cautiously, alert for the slightest indication of danger. Suddenly he heard shouts from the path up ahead of him and raced round the corner, stopping dead when he saw the source of the noise. Zelda was lying on the ground, a trickle of blood making its way down the side of her face. Her sword lay a few feet from her, out of reach. She managed to get up on her elbows, but no further, because a sword was pressed to her throat. Her attacker was wrapped in a dark cloak, so their face was hidden, but Link didn't care who it was. No-one threatened his friend.

With a yell, he launched himself at the mysterious figure. Instantly they turned, and anger flared inside Link as he recognised the figure. Branford. The soldier raised his sword in a vain attempt to block Link's, but the strength of the blow knocked him to the ground. Link kicked the man's sword out of his hand and placed the tip of his own sword against the man's throat. Branford was motionless, staring up at Link in horror, knowing that the other Hylian would kill him without a second thought. Link raised his sword above his head, his Triforce glowing strongly, then brought it down, the blade digging deep into the ground. Branford looked, terrified, at the sword buried an inch from his head.

'Don't think that I don't want to kill you,' Link said, his eyes burning green. 'But I won't do it. Because I'm not like you. But if I ever catch you trying to hurt my friends ever again, I won't hesitate to go through with it. Understand?' The soldier nodded weakly, then scrambled to his feet and raced off across the bridge. Link watched as the man leapt onto his horse and galloped off through the badlands.

 _It takes more courage to spare the life of your enemy than to take the life of your friend_ , Link thought. _Thank you, Farore_. He turned and helped Zelda to her feet.

'Link!' Zelda's eyes lit up with joy. 'I honestly didn't think you were going to come.'

'Yeah, well,' Link muttered, looking down at his feet. But when he raised his eyes, he saw that Zelda was standing right in front of him.

'Link, I…' She sighed and looked away. 'I'm glad you came.' Link smiled back at her.

'Of course I came.' But then he caught sight of the wound on Zelda's head, and immediately started searching for a red potion. Zelda laughed at his eagerness and pulled one out of her pack. Link watched as her injuries healed, then looked back across the bridge, the way Branford had gone.

'What happened?' he asked.

'He was waiting for me,' Zelda replied. 'He must have come out here because he knew sooner or later we'd come. He wanted revenge. I wasn't focused, I was… thinking about other things, and before I knew what was happening he'd knocked my sword away and I was on the ground. If you hadn't come when you did…' Link nodded. He didn't want to think about what would have happened.

'Where do you think he's gone now?' Zelda asked after a moment. 'I hope he doesn't go back to the castle.' Link shook his head.

'I don't think he'll try that. And if he does, Hyra can handle him.' For a moment it looked as though Zelda was going to ask something, but she thought better of it, turning around to face the dark temple.

'Looks like you were wrong about the Temple of Power being our last temple,' Link commented. Zelda smiled ruefully.

'Oh well. But I'm pretty sure that this really is the last one.' She picked up her sword, then led the way up the path to the temple. Eventually, they reached a long staircase carved into the rock outside, and when they climbed it Link finally had a good view of the entire temple. He frowned.

'Wait, isn't this-'

'The Sealed Temple,' Zelda finished. The dark temple in front of them looked exactly the same as the one in the Sealed Grounds, except that the sacred temple was made of white marble, while this one was made of dark stone. 'I guess it makes sense, in a way,' Zelda said. 'Demise was trapped in the Master Sword for countless years, both before and after Impa's vigil. And all that time, the Master Sword was in the Sealed Temple. So Demise had plenty of time to study his surroundings. And now he's created his own dark version.' Link nodded; it did make sense, in a twisted way. He looked sidelong at Zelda.

'Are you scared?' he asked.

'Yeah. A little bit,' she replied. 'Are you?'

'Yeah.' He took her hand, and together they entered the Dark Temple.

-o-

Link's immediate thought was that Demise had done a very good job of recreating the Sealed Temple. It was identical to the real one in every way, other than the colour. At the back were the double doors which led to the room where the Master Sword had lain. Link wondered what would be there now. Drawing his sword, he nudged open the doors carefully, but the room beyond was empty. It resembled the Master Sword chamber, except that there were two doors in the back wall.

'One of those must lead to Demise,' Zelda said. 'We should split up, so that way at least one of us will find him.' Link nodded, although he wasn't eager to be separated from Zelda again.

'You take the door on the right,' he said, going over to the left door and opening it quickly. It barred itself behind him, but he barely noticed, too absorbed in the room. The walls were decorated with what Link recognised as Zora symbols, and the floor was a mosaic of blue stones. In the centre of the room was a deep pool. Link looked around, realising that the room was similar to those in the Desert Sea Temple.

'Hey, Link! Up here!' Zelda yelled, and Link turned around. On the right side of the room was a raised walkway built into the wall, separated from the rest of the room by a wall of bars which ran all the way along. Zelda was standing on the walkway, looking down at him. 'My door led in here. It's barred now, and there's another door at the other end, but that's barred too. Sorry Link, but it looks like I won't be able to help you this time. You're on your own.' Link nodded, and looked around the room.

There was another door on the far side, but that too was barred. The solution had to lie in the pool of water below. He walked to the edge, but stepped back quickly as a Bari floated up to the surface. He dropped a bomb on it, then waited a moment for any other monsters to appear. When none did, he checked that his Zora Scale was still around his neck, then jumped in.

He swam to the bottom of the pool, looking all around him as he did so, but saw nothing. The walls of the pool were lined with the same glowing blue crystals as before, but as Link looked around one crystal caught his eye. Unlike the others, it didn't glow, and on closer examination Link realised it was actually a switch. He brought out his clawshot and hit the switch, which glowed yellow. Link heard a shout from above, heavily muffled by the water, and realised that the doors must have opened. He allowed himself to float to the surface and pulled himself out of the pool.

'Link, you did it! The doors are open! I'll see you in the next room,' Zelda said, running along the walkway and opening her door. Link exited the room as well, and was greeted by a fierce blast of heat.

-o-

Trying to adjust to the rise in temperature, he turned as bars shot across the door behind him. He was standing on a narrow path of stone over a pit of lava far below. The walls of the room were lined with small ledges, roughly big enough for a person to stand on. Link realised that this room must be based on the Volcano Temple. The path he was on had crumbled away in the middle, leaving a gap too far to jump over.

While Link thought about this, he looked around and saw that the raised walkway had continued into this room, and Zelda was once again trapped and unable to help him. But as he turned back to his path, he saw the ledges around the walls of the room filling with purple smoke. When it faded, Link saw that they were crowded with Bokoblin archers, all aiming their weapons at Link.

'Let me handle this one,' Zelda called from above, and Link saw that she was raising her Bow of Light. 'Just focus on blocking their arrows and not falling.' Link obeyed and raised his shield just in time to stop the first hail of arrows. Meanwhile Zelda got to work, and flash after flash of light exploded around the walls of the room. Soon there were only two ledges left, and Link felt safe enough to use his own bow to shoot the remaining monsters.

'Thanks!' he called to Zelda, before turning back to the gap in the middle of the path. 'Any ideas on that?' Zelda thought for a moment, then shouted,

'Look up there!' Link did, and saw a gigantic stalactite hanging down directly over the gap. 'If you could get that to fall somehow, I bet that would make a good platform to help you cross,' Zelda said. Link looked up higher, and saw that the stalactite was cracked near the top. It would only take a little more force to send it down into the lava below. He quickly made a bomb arrow, then shot it up to the weak part of the stalactite. Just as Zelda had predicted, it fell and made a smooth platform for Link to jump onto, letting him cross the bridge.

As he went to open the door at the far end, he paused. By now he had realised the pattern, and knew that the next room would likely be based on the House of the Fallen. He shuddered. He had been to many places in the course of his adventures, but he didn't hate any of them quite as much as he hated the House. Still, he had Zelda to help him. Sighing, he opened the door and stepped into the dense, swirling fog beyond.

-o-

As he waved his hand to try to clear the fog, Link heard a rustling noise beyond.

 _Great_ , he thought. _A mysterious unseen monster. Just what I needed_.

'Link? Are you down there?' Zelda asked.

'Yeah, I'm here. Can you see anything from up there?' he shouted back.

'A little. There's a layer of fog on the floor, at your height, but it gets clearer above that. There's- hang on a second.' Link saw several flashes of light up above, and then there was a series of thumps. 'There were Skulltulas and Deku Babas hanging up above,' Zelda told him. 'I've dealt with them, but there are probably more down where you are. Be careful, Link.' He didn't need to be told twice, creeping forward with his sword at the ready. He also tested each step before he put his foot down, remembering the pit from the House.

He heard something moving off to his left and slashed at it, causing a burst of purple smoke to appear. Satisfied, he kept moving, and soon heard another noise, up ahead of him. He sliced his sword a few times, but nothing happened. Link couldn't tell if the monster was too far away, or just avoiding his attacks. He decided to cover all eventualities, and raised his sword skyward. As soon as it was filled with the sacred light, he launched a spin attack, and was rewarded with more purple smoke.

Suddenly a bright orange light glowed off to his left, and approaching it he saw that it was a torch, burning away the mist. Remembering a similar puzzle from the House, he retrieved his boomerang and hurled it through the torch and around the room. It didn't hit anything, but it illuminated enough for Link to see four more torches, in a circle around the central, lit one. He threw his boomerang again, and this time he hit all the torches, which completely burnt away the rest of the fog. Link looked up, and saw Zelda watching him.

'Well done, Link!' she said. 'If my prediction is right, we should be halfway through! Only three more rooms to go!' Link smiled up at her, then headed for the door in the far wall.

 _The Temple of Courage should be next_ , he thought, and readied his Mirror Shield just in case.

-o-

His assumption was proved correct, as the next room was full of sand. It was dimly lit from above, and looking up Link saw a partially-covered skylight. He shot a bomb arrow up at it, letting the daylight flood in, but the noise caused a hidden sand worm to race towards the centre of the room, where the explosion had happened. Link saw a raised stone platform in the centre, directly beneath the skylight, and waited until the sand worm had gone back down before racing towards it.

He made it just as the monster crashed into the platform. It reared up, gnashing its jaws, and Link was suddenly struck by an idea. He pulled out another bomb from his bag and hurled it at the creature. The hissing bomb was only too tempting a target, and the sand worm swallowed it eagerly. Link stepped back carefully, and after a few moments the bomb exploded, taking the sand worm with it.

 _Now why didn't I think of that when I was in the temple?_ Link thought. _It certainly would have made things easier!_ He turned to survey the rest of the room, and he saw Zelda waiting up above. She shrugged down at him.

'Sorry Link, I never set foot in the Temple of Courage. I'm not going to be much use in this room.' Sighing, Link went back to looking at the room. One of the walls had a large crack on it, and Link hurled a bomb at it. Immediately he heard groans, and the bandage-wrapped monsters from the temple lurched out towards him. He raised his shield, and the sun's rays took out the first few monsters, but then one of the others screamed, freezing Link in place as they came closer. Suddenly a bolt of light shot past him, and the monster disappeared in the same way as those hit by sunlight.

'Those are Gibdos!' Zelda yelled as she hit another one. 'They're the mummified form of ReDeads, another monster. Sunlight is lethal to them, but-' she paused to shoot another arrow, 'it looks as though light arrows work just as well!' Eventually Link unfroze, and assisted Zelda in taking out the last few Gibdos. Finally there was a metallic scraping sound, and Link looked as a door he hadn't seen before became unbarred. He ran over to it but hesitated, looking up to Zelda again.

'What should I expect in the next room, assuming it's based on the Temple of Wisdom?' he asked.

'Lots of ice, so don't slip. Oh, and freezing cold water. And strong enemies. Don't worry, I'll back you up with my arrows,' Zelda reassured him. Thanking her, Link went through into the next room.

-o-

As Zelda had warned him, there was no shortage of ice. The walls, floor and ceiling were all made of it, and Link skidded a little as he entered, catching himself just before he plunged over the edge into a deep pit.

'I warned you!' Zelda said with a laugh, still safe on the raised walkway. Link looked across to the far side of the pit, and saw an unbarred door.

 _So all I need to do is get across_ , he thought. _But how do I do that?_ He heard twittering near the ceiling and looked up in alarm to see a swarm of Keese heading straight for him, but they weren't fast enough to escape Zelda's arrows. When the room was once again clear, he turned his attention back to the pit. He spotted something that looked like an eye switch in the smooth ice opposite him, but quickly realised that it was a reflection, and the switch was on his side of the pit. There was no way for him to reach it, but he signalled to Zelda who nodded and shot the switch for him.

A spinning platform made of ice rose from the pit, and Link leapt onto it, flailing wildly as he tried to keep his balance. The room rotated dizzyingly around him, but he timed his jump carefully, and landed safely on the other side with the unbarred door. But before he went through, he turned to Zelda.

'I think the next room will be based on the Temple of Power, so it's probably best if you hold onto this,' he said, taking out the gravity rod and throwing it up to her. She caught it between the bars and carefully pulled it through. Then they both went through the doors to the next room.

-o-

Link's prediction was correct, as the next room was made of clouds. However, there wasn't much to the room. The four walls were there, and there was a small platform at each end of the room, but other than that the floor and ceiling were completely gone. Link looked up, hearing a roaring noise, and saw that a fan was blowing fiercely from just above his head, straight across the room to the other platform and the door leading out of the room.

'How are we going to do this?' Link shouted over the wind. 'If there's no ceiling or floor, I'll fall no matter which direction gravity is acting in.' Zelda thought for a moment, then had an idea.

'If I use the gravity rod on you continuously, you should stay at roughly the same height, in mid-air! When I reverse gravity, you'll fall upwards, but if I flip gravity again while you're still falling, you'll start to fall downwards. If I do that quickly enough, again and again, you'll be constantly falling, but because you're falling in different directions, you won't actually fall either way! Then you can use the fan to blow you across the room to the other side.' Link raised an eyebrow.

'That sounds difficult. Are you sure it'll work?'

'Not entirely. But it's the only idea we've got. Do you trust me to do it?' she asked, and Link nodded.

'I do. Let's give it a try.' He braced himself, and felt the familiar sensation of falling as Zelda used the gravity rod on him. But as he fell up past the fan and began to move horizontally as a result of the rushing wind, he felt himself falling back downwards. The two sensations switched, over and over, while Link held his breath and hoped. He wasn't required to do anything; gravity was doing all the work, and Zelda was controlling gravity. He spent the time praying desperately to Farore. But finally he felt himself land on solid cloud, and realised that he had made it across the room.

'You did it!' he yelled. 'That was amazing, Zelda!' She blushed slightly, not meeting his eyes.

'It wasn't that hard. And there's no time for compliments! The Temple of Power is the final temple, so we must be getting near Demise now!' Suddenly Link's heart sank. It was true, they had to be very close to the Demon King. Gulping, he carefully opened the door to the next room.

-o-

Out of habit, he immediately looked over to the right, where the raised walkway was. But to his surprise, there was no walkway, only a door and a small platform at that height. As he watched, Zelda emerged from the door and leapt down from the platform, overjoyed to be reunited with Link.

'Finally!' she exclaimed. 'I was beginning to think I'd be trapped up there forever! This must mean we're near the end. Maybe this is the final room…' As she spoke, bars shot over the doors, sealing the Hylians inside. Purple smoke billowed through the room, and when it cleared Link saw that they were surrounded by Bokoblins, electricity sparking off their swords. Link and Zelda looked at each other, grinned, and got to work.

Unlike the first time they had fought these monsters, they didn't have to use their own electric swords against them. Instead they brought out their bows, and deftly shot the monsters. But as soon as the last one fell, more smoke filled the room. This revealed several Lizalfos, screeching and slashing at the Hylians with their swords. It was the work of a few moments to dispatch these, and Link took out the last of them with a Skyward Strike.

'Stalfos comes next,' Zelda told him, having worked out the pattern. When Link looked confused, she explained: 'We have to fight the mini boss from each temple again. First was the electric Bokoblins, then the Lizalfos. The House of the Fallen had a Stalfos, you said the Temple of Courage had something which sounds to me like a Garo Master, the Temple of Wisdom had a Wizzrobe, and the Temple of Power had an Iron Knuckle. So the Stalfos is next.'

Right on cue, the swirling purple smoke revealed the monster. It screamed at the Hylians, raising its swords, but Zelda shot a light arrow straight at its skull. The bones beneath crumbled to dust, and Link smiled, thinking how much easier this was than the first time they had fought these enemies. But next was the Garo Master, and he raised his shield protectively. When the smoke cleared and the monster emerged, Link was ready, unleashing a vertical Skyward Strike which the Garo Master tried and failed to block with its own swords. A light arrow from Zelda finished it off.

'What's a Wizzrobe?' Link asked as more smoke filled the room. It cleared in the corners to reveal several strange-looking platforms.

'It warps around the room and hurls magic at you, basically,' Zelda said. 'Wait for it to appear on one of those platforms, then shoot it.'

'Done and done,' Link muttered as the monster rose from a platform. It balanced on one leg, preparing to hurl magic at Link from its staff, but he quickly shot it. It reappeared several more times, but every time the Hylians were ready for it. Eventually it rose, but split into two identical copies.

'One of those is an illusion!' Zelda shouted. 'We could try to find out which one is the real one, or…'

'Or we could just shoot both!' Link finished, as he and Zelda both took aim at a different copy. Link's arrow passed straight through, but Zelda was successful, finally defeating the Wizzrobe. The Hylians regrouped in the middle of the room, bracing themselves for the might of the Iron Knuckle. Link knew that their items, light arrows and Skyward Strikes would all be useless against the monster's armour. This would have to be done with swords.

As it appeared, swinging its axe, Link rolled to one side and came up behind the monster, slashing at its armour. It spun round deceptively quickly, but before it could attack it was dealt another blow by Zelda, who succeeded in knocking another piece of armour off. As the Iron Knuckle turned to slash at one Hylian, the other attacked, and they repeated this until finally the monster collapsed to its knees, defeated. Link paused for a moment to get his breath back, turning as the bars over the door on the far side of the room lifted. He hurried through, closely followed by Zelda. The next room was completely bare, just a corridor. At the far end was a pair of double doors, cut into the dark rock of the temple itself.

This is it,' Zelda said quietly. 'It has to be. Beyond those doors is Demise.' Link stepped up to the doors, trying to summon the courage to open them.

'I can't believe it'll be over,' he said. Zelda laughed nervously.

'Don't get ahead of yourself. This is going to be the toughest battle we've ever had.'

'Yes, but,' Link said, taking Zelda's hand. 'We're together. That's the main thing. Whether we live or die, we do it together.' He was shocked at the expression on Zelda's face. She looked almost as though she was about to cry. Suddenly Link was reminded of Din's ominous words. Was this the suffering she had alluded to? Was this the way in which the will of the Goddesses would be ignored? Was he about to die? He shook the thoughts from his head.

'We have to do this,' he said, to himself as much as Zelda. 'We can't back down now. This is the final battle.' Zelda nodded, smiling bravely.

'Yes, we really do have to do this, don't we?' Link took a deep breath, then pushed open the doors and walked out to face the Demon King, Demise.

-o-

A/N: Surprise visit from the Poe sisters there. I did actually plan to have them coming back ever since the House of the Fallen. I do like Meg.

Branford is also finally dealt with! Yippee! I reckon he probably learned his lesson this time.

And Link and Zelda are back together! Well, briefly... Mwahaha!

Tomorrow's chapter is *gulp* Demise...


	27. Chapter 27: Demise

A/N: Demise! Eek! I was really worried about writing this fight, but I hope I did it okay... I changed some things from the game since there are now two people fighting instead of one. Hope you like it!

-o-

Link drew his sword as soon as they were outside, ready to fight. They had emerged from the Dark Temple into a circular pit, with high, steep walls. It resembled the pit where Din's Trial had taken place, in the Sealed Grounds, but there was no spiral path this time. There was no way out of the pit. As Link hesitantly stepped forward, he heard a rushing sound behind him and spun round, only to see a wall of darkness blocking the path back to the Dark Temple.

'Now we're really stuck in here,' Zelda said nervously. Link turned back to the pit, searching for any sign of the Demon King. But the pit was deserted - almost.

'What's that?' he asked, gesturing with his sword.

'I'm not sure,' Zelda replied. A shard of stone, about half as tall as Link, stuck out of the ground in the centre of the pit. It was surrounded by a dark insignia, which throbbed periodically with red light.

'Wait, it looks familiar,' Link said, wracking his memory. Suddenly he remembered. 'Zelda, that's the Sealing Spike! Remember, from Din's Trial!'

'Of course!' Zelda said. 'And it's not just part of the trial. In the time of the Hero of the Skies, this spike acted like a key, keeping Hylia's seal intact! Demise broke free several times, but the Hero always managed to beat him back, partly because the magic in the spike confines Demise to his monstrous form. It prevents him from regaining his true power. Perhaps the seal on Demise was reformed after your ancestor defeated him, and that's why the spike is here! Quickly, we need to try to reseal Demise, before he's able to break free again!'

Link didn't need to be told twice. He raced across the pit, raising the Master Sword and charging a Skyward Strike as he did so. But as soon as he reached the edge of the dark insignia surrounding the spike, he knew he was too late. Darkness was pouring off the spike, and as he watched, it grew, covering the whole of the insignia. When the darkness faded slightly it revealed that the insignia had collapsed into a pit, and out of the pit burst…

'What in Farore's name is that?' Link yelled, staring up in horror at the grotesque monster which rose from the pit. It seemed to be at least half mouth, long jaws lined with rows of sabre-like teeth. It had short legs and disproportionately long arms, and the whole thing was covered in dark scales.

'That's the Imprisoned,' Zelda said, and from her voice Link could guess what that meant. 'It's the form Demise was trapped in by Hylia.'

'So that-that's Demise?' Link asked, unable to believe that the monstrosity before him was the Demon King.

'Yes. But don't be fooled, Link. Remember, that thing may not look like Demise, but it still has his power and it still has a piece of the Triforce. We need to find a way to defeat it, quickly, or it could very easily destroy us, and the rest of Hyrule as well.' Link gripped his sword and narrowed his eyes, glaring up at the beast.

'Right.'

-o-

The Imprisoned roared at the blood-red sky, before lowering its head and roaring straight at Link. He raised an arm to shield himself, but as the beast came closer he saw that the Sealing Spike was embedded in its forehead. His eyes widened as he turned to Zelda.

'Do you see that? I bet that's its weak point! We just need to get to it somehow!'

'Yes, we- Link, look out!' Zelda yelled, and Link turned back in time to be hit by an enormous shockwave as the monster stamped one gigantic foot. 'Are you alright?' Zelda asked, helping Link up.

'I'm fine. Do you have any ideas?' Zelda looked down at the Bow of Light in her hand.

'My light arrows haven't failed us yet. I'll try hit the spike with one, but to get a good aim I need to be behind the Imprisoned. That means you'll have to distract it for me.'

'No problem,' Link said grimly, setting off at a run. 'Hey, ugly! Remember me?' he taunted, diving for cover as the beast smashed one of its arms down in the place where Link had just been standing. Between the Imprisoned's legs he saw as shining light as Zelda took aim, then let her arrow fly. It struck the Sealing Spike dead on, and the beast roared, clawing at the sky. Finally it collapsed, stunned, which put the spike within reach of Link's sword. He ran to it, charging a Skyward Strike as he went, and slashed it upwards, pushing it back into the beast's forehead.

After three hits the Imprisoned roared and got to its feet again, and Link watched, frustrated, as the spike was pushed back out. But it seemed as though it was slightly further in than it had been before, so Link knew they had the right strategy. The Imprisoned looked around, searching for the source of the light arrow, and Zelda took off running as it stamped towards her, each footfall releasing another shockwave.

'Link! Remember what I said about distracting that thing?' Zelda yelled, and Link raced forward and slashed at the beast's exposed tail. His sword had no effect, bouncing off the hard scales, but it did get the monster's attention. It spun round, roaring, and behind it Link saw Zelda aiming again. He feinted to the side, then dodged as the Imprisoned brought its fist down. Zelda shot another arrow, and again she managed to hit the spike, sending the Imprisoned toppling to the ground. Link raced over and attacked the Sealing Spike, driving it back into the beast's head with every blow.

But after another three hits, the beast revived and got unsteadily to its feet, pushing the spike out of its head. But Link smiled: the spike was definitely further in than it had been before. It looked as though the Imprisoned was weakening. It wasn't done yet, though. It looked up at the sky and roared, and suddenly a dark ring emerged from its body and hovered overhead, like a halo of darkness. The beast rose unsteadily into the air, until it was level with the top of the pit.

'What is it doing?' Zelda asked. 'Is it trying to escape?' But suddenly the Imprisoned retracted its halo, sending it hurtling down towards the ground. The Hylians scattered as it hit, creating an enormous shockwave that picked Link up and hurled him against the wall of the pit. He shook his head, trying to clear the spots from his vision, as he looked around frantically for Zelda. He finally saw her, slumped on the other side of the pit. The Imprisoned had seen her too, marching towards her.

Desperate to keep it away from her, Link ran forward and slashed at the Imprisoned's tail again. It wasn't impressed, swishing it from side to side and knocking Link to the ground. But the distraction had been long enough for Zelda to regain consciousness, and she got to her feet, swaying slightly. But the Imprisoned was still heading straight for her, pounding its fists on the ground. Zelda ran round the edge of the pit but the beast followed her, ignoring Link's futile attacks.

'It knows you're the dangerous one!' Link yelled. 'It's ignoring me!' Zelda paused for a moment, then rolled to the side as another fist crashed down.

'Link! Raise your mirror shield!' she yelled, and Link obeyed without question. 'Now angle it towards the spike!' Again Link obeyed, although he didn't see how sunlight would damage the Imprisoned. But when he saw Zelda taking aim with her bow, through the Imprisoned's legs and straight at him, he understood her plan. The light arrow flew towards Link and bounced off his shield, blinding him. But he looked up quickly enough to see that it was shooting straight towards the Sealing Spike. The Imprisoned roared as it was hit, and fell to the ground once more.

 _This has to be the final time!_ Link thought as he ran. He charged up his Skyward Strike and attacked the spike as hard as he could, driving it back into the Imprisoned's skull. Suddenly the spike went in, further than before, and the Imprisoned roared deafeningly. Its entire body glowed white, making Link step back from the glare. There was a blinding explosion of purple light, which formed into the scales of the beast, surrounding the Sealing Spike. It hung in mid-air over the pit, turning slowly. As Link watched, it rose higher, and beneath it the scales flew down into the ground at the centre of the pit, making a patch of darkness. The spike descended serenely until it was hovering just over the darkness.

'Now, Link!' Zelda shouted. 'Seal the spike with the energy from your sword!' Link raised the Master Sword into the air, watching as the sacred light filled it, then he shot a beam at the spike. It glowed white, and Link waited to see what would happen next. Suddenly he had a strange feeling, some ancestral memory, like the first time he had called his Loftwing. He knew what he had to do now.

He cut his blade back and forth through the air, glowing white lines appearing in its wake. The lines formed the glowing symbol of the Triforce, which burned bright white. Raising his sword a final time, Link thrust it towards the ground, driving the Sealing Spike back down and sealing the Imprisoned away once and for all.

-o-

The Hylians stood in silence, unable to believe what had just happened.

'…We did it,' Zelda said distantly. 'We defeated Demise.' Link turned to her, smiling.

'Yeah. Looks like we did.' Unimaginable joy filled Link's chest. Finally, the goal they had worked towards for so long was accomplished. It was all over. Zelda looked at Link, unable to stop smiling. But suddenly she looked past him, at the Sealing Spike. She frowned, and the hairs on the back of her neck rose. It looked inactive, the monster safely sealed away, but somehow she knew it was wrong. She turned back to Link. But he had seen her look, and turned to the Sealing Spike. He squinted at it, trying to work out what was unnerving him. Suddenly a thin wisp of darkness rose off it. Link backed away, drawing his sword.

'Demise isn't dead yet!' he yelled to Zelda, but to his surprise she hadn't drawn her sword.

'Link, listen! I have to tell you something!'

'Can't it wait until after?' he replied, keeping his eyes fixed on the spike. As he watched, another wisp of darkness arose, closely followed by a third.

'No! Link, don't you see, that's why I have to tell you! There isn't going to _be_ an after! Not for me!' Zelda yelled desperately, and finally Link realised that something was badly wrong. His mind flashed back to Din's warning. He turned to Zelda, and saw tears running down her face.

'Link, I lo-'

Suddenly darkness erupted off the spike in a great cloud. It rose up, forming a ball of dark magic. Link caught sight of something golden sparkling in the centre, and realised that Demise was using the Triforce of Power to revive himself. The ball of magic grew, rising over the spike, until- without warning it shot straight towards Link. He braced himself for the impact, but before the magic hit he was thrown to the side. Looking up he saw Zelda standing in his place, just as the dark magic engulfed her. Link watched, paralysed by horror, as Zelda was raised into the air. Her left hand glowed, and a bright golden light burst from her chest, shooting into the cloud of darkness over the spike. The Triforce symbol faded from Zelda's hand as she was thrown across the pit like a rag doll.

'No!' Link yelled, finally regaining control of his body and running to his fallen friend. But before he could reach her he was overtaken by the cloud of darkness, which expanded across the pit. He raised his shield, trying to get to Zelda, but turned when he heard a roar in the darkness. The black mist cleared, revealing two gigantic feet. Link gasped as the Imprisoned rose above him once more. It roared up at the sky, and a burst of golden light appeared above it. The light formed into two golden triangles: the Triforce of Power and the Triforce of Wisdom. Horrified, Link looked back at Zelda's body, then at the monster. He realised now what the dark magic was: it had been intended to steal Link's piece of the Triforce. One piece was not enough to revive Demise, but with two, he would be reborn.

Link tried desperately to fight his way through the darkness, anything to stop Demise from completing the ritual, but the magic was too strong. Suddenly the Triforce pieces spiralled down, hitting the Imprisoned with a blinding flash. The monster was instantly consumed in a whirlwind of purple light, and Link shielded his eyes, trying to make out what was happening in the centre. The light grew brighter, until it was pure white. When it faded, the pit was filled with purple mist. Link looked around, and took a step back in shock as he saw a large, dark figure crouching in the centre of the pit.

They straightened up slowly, their back to Link, and he saw that their body was covered in the same dark scales as the Imprisoned. The figure's hair was a mane of roaring fire, and they were twice the size of Link. The figure slowly turned to face Link, and their eyes burned with red fire. There was a shining white cross on their forehead, the remains of the wound from the Sealing Spike. The figure raised one enormous hand, and suddenly a dark sword, resembling the Master Sword but much larger, appeared out of thin air.

With a feeling of cold dread in his heart, Link knew who this figure was. Demise, the Demon King.

-o-

Demise chuckled as he saw Link, a deep, unpleasant sound.

'So,' he said, and Link felt the earth tremble slightly from his voice. 'You have returned, chosen knight of the goddess.' Link narrowed his eyes and raised his sword. He realised that Demise must have fought his ancestor in the same way. But the Demon King was beaten before, and he would be beaten again. Demise looked amused by Link's defiance.

'I should really thank you, Hylian,' he said, swishing his sword back and forth as he spoke. Link kept his eyes on it; he knew that one hit could cut him in half. 'If you had not so rashly drawn that sword you hold from its pedestal, I would never have regained the power to break free of the seal. As it was, the power I gained from the goddess' descendent when I first tricked her into touching the sword was only enough for me to release a portion of my power. Without you, Hylian, I would still be trapped in that blade. So I thank you,' Demise said, drawing his lips back in an unkind smile which showed his teeth. Link glared. He knew this was all his fault, he knew that if he had been smarter Demise would never have broken free. But he also knew that Demise was telling him this to make him angry, to trick him into making a mistake. Link wasn't going to fall for it. Demise laughed again, raising his sword.

'So, you truly wish to fight me? How foolish. Just like that other _Hero_ …'

'The other Hero who beat you!' Link yelled back, his self-control cracking. 'He did it then, and I will defeat you now.' Hearing this, Demise threw his head back and roared with laughter.

'So courageous. So like a foolish mortal. I will take great pleasure in destroying you, and the rest of your world along with you. Finally, I will take my rightful place as ruler of this world. No more heroes, no more goddesses. Your world belongs to me now!' He raised his sword skyward, and a pillar of darkness rose around him. Link raised his shield, unsure of what the Demon King was planning. Suddenly the darkness exploded outwards in a wave, hitting Link and making his world go dark. When his vision returned, he gasped. He was no longer standing in the badlands pit. The sky above him was clear blue, with soft white clouds. Looking down, he saw that he was standing on what looked like water, reflecting the sky like a perfect mirror. Ahead of him he saw Demise, looking up at the sun.

'After all these millennia, my power has not faded in the slightest. See how easily I can create an entire world, purely to serve as your tomb. Think how simple it will be for me to recreate that world you call Hyrule, once you fall. And you will fall. The only question is how long it will be before you falter and break. I wonder, will you last as long as the other Hero?' Demise raised his hand, and the blue sky above turned to roiling storm-clouds.

'And when you fall, I will take the piece of the Triforce you hold, the piece your pitiful Goddesses tried so hard to protect. I will take it, and I will bear the full power of the Triforce. The gods themselves will bow down to me!' Demise bared his teeth, raising his sword. As he did so, Link saw the Triforce symbol glowing on the back of the Demon King's hand. Two of the triangles glowed brighter than the third, showing that Demise possessed the powers of Din and Nayru.

Link looked down at his own hand, and raised his own sword, glaring at Demise. It didn't matter that the fight was two against one in Demise's favour. As long as Link still stood, he would fight.

-o-

The fighters advanced slowly towards each other. Suddenly Link leapt at his foe, attacking furiously. Demise blocked the first few blows with his sword, but Link was relentless, and managed to strike the Demon King several times across the chest. Demise raised his sword to counterattack, but Link blocked with his shield, landing another blow before Demise leapt back, out of range of Link's sword. The Hylian narrowed his eyes, watching Demise's movements carefully. He saw his chance and attacked again, getting several hits in before Demise slashed at him with his sword.

Again Link blocked, and managed to knock Demise to his knees with his next blow. Link attacked furiously, injuring the Demon King deeply, before Demise suddenly rose to his feet and slashed at Link, inflicting a deep wound on his chest and making Link stagger back. He thought fleetingly about a red potion, but remembered that Zelda carried them. Zelda… he shook his head violently, forcing himself to stay focussed.

 _I'm doing this for her,_ he told himself. _I can't let myself get distracted now. She'll be okay. She has to be okay._ He leapt forward, launching a flurry of blows at Demise. Again and again, the Demon King tried to counterattack, but Link blocked him every time. Eventually a particularly forceful attempt threw Demise off-balance, and Link seized his opportunity, striking Demise over and over, letting out a fierce battle-cry as he did so. A final blow knocked Demise down onto his back, but the Demon King quickly recovered.

He waved his hand, and the red storm-clouds turned black as lightning speared into the ground. Demise raised his sword, and suddenly a lightning bolt hit, filling the dark blade with crackling blue energy. Link's eyes widened, recognising the strategy as something similar to his Skyward Strike, but far more lethal. Demise launched a bolt of electric blue energy at him, and Link dodged just in time. As Demise raised his sword for another attack, Link looked speculatively up at the sky.

 _Hmm_ , he thought. _Two can play at that game._ He also raised his sword above his head, praying that the lightning would strike his blade before his opponent's. His prayers were answered, and he gritted his teeth as the powerful bolt of energy hit his blade. He quickly launched it at Demise, and the Demon King convulsed as he was hit. Link ran over and slashed at his foe, making several deep cuts before Demise recovered, slashing his own dark blade at Link. He backflipped out of the way, before raising his sword and powering it up with another strike. He hit Demise across the chest with it, and again managed to injure the Demon King before dodging another counterattack.

Both fighters raised their swords skyward, and this time Link's luck failed him as Demise's sword was hit first. Link rolled to avoid the attack, raising his sword as he got to his feet. A bolt of lightning struck it and Link launched the energy strike at Demise, before unleashing a powerful spin attack which knocked Demise off his feet. Link leapt into the air, bringing his sword down as he landed, but Demise rolled out of the way at the last moment. Link's sword was driven into the ground and he fought to free it while Demise prepared to slash at him.

He managed to remove his sword just in time, and ducked under the swipe, before raising his sword once more. Another bolt of lightning struck it, and Link whirled around, unleashing a ferocious bolt of energy. Again, Demise was knocked onto his back. Link raced towards him, determined that this time he would get there before his foe recovered. He leapt into the air, and at the peak of his jump another bolt of lightning speared down and filled his sword with energy. Perhaps it was Link's imagination, but he thought that the blue bolt was tinged with green light. The Triforce symbol on his hand blazed gold as he brought his sword down, straight through the Demon King's chest.

A shockwave of blue energy burst from the sword, and Demise convulsed, roaring, before falling still.

-o-

Link removed his sword and moved away, staying alert. Suddenly the Demon King rose, getting unsteadily to his feet. Link took a few steps back, raising his sword, but he could see that his foe was greatly weakened. Demise raised his sword, as if to attack Link, before driving it deep into the ground. As Link watched, it disappeared in a burst of dark mist. Demise looked down at his hand in surprise, before turning to Link.

'Extraordinary,' he said, breathing heavily. 'Never in all eternity have I met a mortal like you. But… you have not defeated me. I will return. And when I do, I will destroy your descendants, and their world along with them.' Demise rose to his full height, smirking cruelly at Link. 'I will rise again!' he shouted triumphantly, raising his fists to the sky.

'Not this time,' Link said quietly. He raised his sword over his head for a final time, feeling the surge of power as the lightning filled his blade. He leapt into the air and plunged his sword into Demise's chest, driving it deeper with all his strength. Demise looked down in shock, unable to do anything as the sacred energy from the Master Sword flowed through his body.

Cracks of white light appeared, spreading and widening. Demise was engulfed in pure white light, and Link had to shield his eyes. The last thing he saw was the Demon King reaching for him, the last thing he heard was his bellow of rage, before the light faded, taking Demise with it.

-o-

The storm clouds slowly faded, returning the sky to a clear, deep blue reflected in the water below. Link sheathed his sword, a numb feeling inside of him. He realised now what had happened when his ancestor had fought Demise. The Demon King had been beaten, just as Link had now beaten him, but Demise's soul had been sealed in the Master Sword, allowing him to be reborn many years later. But now, once and for all, he had been destroyed.

'It's over,' Link whispered. Then he sank to his knees, exhausted beyond belief.


	28. Chapter 28: One Wish

Suddenly a blinding flash of light enveloped Link, and when he opened his eyes he gasped. He was no longer in the magical realm created by Demise. He was surrounded on all sides by rolling green fields, and above him a golden twilight sky shone.

 _The Sacred Realm_ , he thought to himself. _And it's back to normal. Which means that Demise really is gone_. Looking around, he saw that he was on a narrow spur of land, jutting out over a deep valley below. At the end of the spur was a stone structure, a semicircle of columns with a pedestal in the middle. Slowly, as if in a dream, Link walked towards the pedestal.

As soon as he reached it, there was another flash of golden light. Link gasped as two pieces of the Triforce appeared above him, floating down until they hovered in place over the pedestal. The symbol on Link's hand glowed brightly, then vanished, and the Triforce of Courage appeared in front of Link before joining the other two and forming the completed Triforce. Link reached out to touch it, but suddenly heard movement behind him. He spun round, his eyes widening as he saw who it was. He dropped to one knee, his head bowed. The three Golden Goddesses stood before him, but their expressions were ones of great sadness.

'Link,' Farore said, and Link looked up. 'You have defeated Demise and vanquished the evil that threatened this world. For this, we thank you. You have saved Hyrule, but at a terrible cost.' The three goddesses placed their hands together and vanished, but in their place was someone else. Link gasped and ran over, kneeling beside the golden-haired figure and holding her in his arms.

'Zelda!' he gasped. 'No… no, you can't be gone, you can't be…' He stopped suddenly as she stirred, turning her head towards him. Her eyes opened slightly, and she smiled weakly when she saw him.

'Link…' she murmured. 'Link, you… you did it. I knew you could…' Link shook his head, refusing to accept what was happening.

'No Zelda, _we_ did it. I couldn't have done it without you. And we're going to have more adventures together. You're going to be okay, Zelda, I promise. This isn't the end.' Zelda smiled sadly.

'Link… I'm sorry. For everything.' Tears clouded Link's vision as he looked down at Zelda.

'I'm sorry too,' he whispered. Zelda raised an arm weakly, her fingertips brushing against Link's cheek.

'Link… I… I love you,' she said. Then her arm fell, and her eyes drifted shut. Link was still, unable to move.

'No!' he shouted. 'Zelda! No, you can't die, you have to stay with me! Zelda! You can't… you can't.' But as he watched, Zelda's body dissolved into golden light, which drifted away on the wind.

-o-

Link knelt there, tears running down his cheeks, his arms still clutched round the empty air where Zelda had been. He felt cold and hollow inside, as if something had been ripped from him. And he knew it had. Zelda was gone.

He heard a soft footfall behind him, but didn't bother to turn round. Friend or foe, he didn't care anymore. Nothing could make him feel better, nothing could hurt him more than he had just been hurt. A shining hand rested gently on his shoulder, and finally he looked up, into the glowing green eyes of Farore.

'Link. I am truly sorry,' she said, and Link knew she meant it. But her words couldn't penetrate the veil of darkness that had fallen over him. He rose to his feet and looked around, his searching eyes finding Din.

'You. You knew this would happen, didn't you? That's what you were warning me about.' The Goddess of Power nodded, her eyes downcast. Link spun round to face Nayru. 'You're the Goddess of Wisdom. There has to be some way to bring Zelda back, you have to know how to bring her back!' But Nayru shook her head sadly.

'Link, believe me, I have no greater wish than to restore Zelda to you. But I cannot. She was taken by dark magic, of a kind that our powers are useless against. We cannot revive her.' Link stood in silence, knowing that this couldn't be true, there _had_ to be way. But after a few moments he sagged, looking down at the ground.

'Why is she gone?' he asked the world at large.

'Because she loved you,' Nayru replied. 'When the two of you were searching for the final piece of the Triforce, I showed her a vision of the future. She knew that if she did nothing, you would die. But if she sacrificed herself to save you, you would live and go on to destroy Demise. This is the path she chose.' Link looked up at the goddess, suddenly angry.

'Why did you do that? Why did you make her think she had to die to save me? If you hadn't shown her that vision, I would have died, not her. If it wasn't for you, Zelda would still be alive!'

'Yes, and she would live knowing that she could have, should have saved you,' Din said sharply from behind Link. 'She is gone, but she died knowing that you would live, and that you saved the world. Imagine if she had taken the other path. She would watch you die, then stand by, helpless, as Demise destroyed Hyrule and her along with it. She would feel the pain you feel now, but a thousand times worse. Would you really wish that on the girl you love?' Link looked at Din, hating the goddess but knowing that she was right, and hating himself for knowing it. He turned back to Nayru.

'So Zelda knew she was going to die. That's why she pretended not to love me, isn't it?' Nayru nodded solemnly.

'Yes. When Zelda knew that you would lose her, she tried to distance herself from you, because she thought it would make her loss easier for you to bear. But it hurt her terribly to do that to you. Throughout all your adventures, she loved you more than you realise. From the first moment you met, she loved you. As you loved her.' Link swallowed his tears, fixing his eyes on the ground. He thought back to their arguments. All that time, Zelda had truly loved him. How much had he hurt her, acting as though he hated her? Another memory boiled up in his mind, and Link closed his eyes, self-loathing rising in him.

'And when I kissed Hyra, Zelda thought I really had moved on.'

'Yes. Zelda tried to be happy, thinking this meant that you would grieve less for her, but she could only feel pain.' Link shook his head slowly, unable to bear it.

'I put her through so much,' he whispered. 'How could I do that to her?' Again, Farore tried to comfort him.

'You did not know what she felt, or what burden she had to bear.'

'I should have known,' Link said morosely. 'If I'd listened, if I'd paid attention rather than being so self-absorbed, I would have realised.'

'She would still be gone,' Farore said gently, and a single burning tear slipped down Link's face, knowing she spoke the truth. No matter what he had said or done, there was no way he could have prevented Zelda's death.

-o-

A soft golden light shone on the side of Link's face and he looked up, remembering where he was. The Triforce glowed serenely, oblivious to the struggles and the pain it had caused. Link stepped up to it, reaching out.

'I can use this to make a wish, can't I?' he asked, keeping his voice perfectly level.

'Yes,' Din replied. 'None can deny that you have earned the right to use the ultimate power. You may have one wish, and whatever that wish is, it will be done.' Link's heart began to pound.

 _The Triforce. The ultimate power. I could use this to_ -

'When someone dies an honourable death at the end of their time, they cannot be brought back. Resurrection of a mortal being is the one thing the sacred power of the Triforce cannot accomplish.' Lanayru's voice sounded in Link's head, and suddenly he remembered the Thunder Dragon's solemn words. The Triforce could not have been used to resurrect Queen Lula of the Zoras, and Link knew it could not be used to resurrect Zelda now. He turned back to the goddesses, searching for confirmation, and the look on their faces told him that they knew exactly what had been going through Link's mind.

'I am sorry, Link,' Farore told him. 'The ultimate power has but one limit. And that limit is that it cannot bring a mortal being back to life, once they are gone.' Link looked at the Triforce, suddenly hating the golden power he had worked so hard to claim.

'What's the point of being granted one wish, if the one wish I want to make can't be accomplished?' he said angrily.

'You can still use your wish for other means,' Nayru said. 'To restore Hyrule, to alleviate some of the suffering caused by Demise.' Another memory stirred in Link's mind.

'Promise me that you'll remember that you're not the only one in this world who's suffering. I know it feels like that. When you get hurt, when you lose someone, it feels like you're the only person who's ever suffered anything like that, but you're not.' Zelda's words to him after he had failed to save Latiro's mother. He looked down at the ground, wondering what Zelda would say to him now. In his heart of hearts, he already knew. Even if there were a way to bring her back to life, Zelda wouldn't want him to waste his wish on her. She would tell him to help the other people of Hyrule, all those who had suffered.

 _But what if there's still a way…?_ he wondered. _What if I can help the people of Hyrule, and get Zelda back? There must be a loophole somewhere in this!_ Inspiration suddenly struck him, and in a clear voice he said,

'I wish that my ancestor had defeated Demise completely, instead of sealing him in the Master Sword. I wish that none of this had ever happened.' He reached out to touch the Triforce, but just before his fingertips could brush the surface, Farore spoke.

'Link, wait. Are you sure this is what you want?' Suddenly the three Goddesses dissolved into orbs of light, green, blue and red, and swirled around Link. He tried to keep his bearings, but it was impossible, and as he became increasingly dizzy his world faded into blackness.

-o-

He opened his eyes, shaking his head to dispel the spots, and gasped. He was standing in the badlands pit, facing Demise. The Demon King raised his sword, preparing to kill Link, but suddenly froze. He burst into golden light, vanishing. While Link was still trying to understand what had happened, he heard Farore's voice in his head.

'Demise was defeated properly the first time, so you never fought him in this time.' Link's perspective suddenly moved, shooting across the pit to where Zelda lay, struck down by Demise's magic. The golden light enveloped her, and she stood up, looking around in confusion. 'Because you never fought Demise, Zelda never died,' Farore continued. Link's face split into a smile as he saw his friend revived.

 _Why are you showing me this?_ he questioned Farore. _I know this is what I want!_ Suddenly Link's view changed again, and it took him a moment to realise where he was. He was standing in the back room of the Sealed Temple, where the Master Sword rested in its pedestal. As he watched, a young blonde-haired girl entered the room, looking all around her. Link gasped as he realised that this must be a younger version of Zelda.

 _So this must be when she touched the Master Sword and released Casineb_ , Link thought. As he predicted, Zelda ran forward and touched the hilt of the sword. Immediately a cloud of darkness poured off it, and Zelda fell back. But just as abruptly as it had appeared, the cloud vanished in a spray of golden light.

'Your ancestor defeated Demise completely, instead of sealing him in the Master Sword, so the Demon King was unable to release Casineb, even when Zelda touched the blade,' Farore told him.

 _Even better!_ Link thought. _If Casineb was never released, none of the suffering would ever have happened. The dragons wouldn't have been cursed, Fallhollow Village would never have been destroyed, Queen Lula would never have died… I want to make this wish!_ Link's vision changed, and now he was standing in the throne room of Hyrule Castle. He involuntarily took a step back as he saw Hyra sitting on the throne, addressing a crowd of people.

'Casineb was never released, so the Princess was never cursed,' Farore said. 'Moreover, you never came to Hyrule Castle, so you never met her.' Link frowned slightly. Even after everything that had happened with Hyra, he was still glad to have met her. But he supposed not meeting the Princess was a small price to pay compared to all the suffering that would be prevented. But Farore wasn't done.

'Since Hyra never met you and Zelda, she never received the guidance and experience she needed to become a better ruler. Over time, she struggled more and more with the pressures of her role, and eventually she ruined her kingdom.' Link bit his lip, conflicted.

 _I'm sure she won't do that bad a job_ , he thought. _After all, she's got Impa to help her out. And so what if the kingdom does suffer a little? It would still be better than what Casineb and Demise did._ But at the back of his mind, a little voice reminded him of how hard Hyra found being Princess, how disgruntled her people were with her rule even before she became cursed. The damage would be great, he knew.

Link's perspective changed again, and this time he was standing in the clearing in Faron Woods where he had first met and fought Zelda. He turned round, and gasped as he saw himself, frozen in mid-battle as his sword clashed with his friend's. As he watched, both figures burst into golden light.

'Without the growing evil of Casineb, you had no reason to go on your quest,' Farore informed him. 'So you never met Zelda.' Link's heart skipped a beat at her words.

 _I'll never meet Zelda? I don't want that! But at least she's still alive, even if I never know about her…_ He tried to convince himself, but it was a struggle. The scene before his eyes shifted again, and he found himself standing in Fallhollow Village. Across the clearing he saw himself again, this time battling Quin while Faru watched.

'In fact, without the threat of Casineb, you never left Fallhollow Village at all,' Farore said. Link's vision zoomed in on his hand, which Link saw was still covered with the dark mark he had had for the first seventeen years of his life. 'You never realised your true destiny,' Farore told him. 'You stayed here, alone, until the day you died.'

 _I… do?_ Link thought, shocked. _But I must leave at some point…_ But he thought back to his time spent in the village, before the Elder had revealed his destiny to him. At the time, he would have been quite content to spend the rest of his days living in the village, never setting foot beyond the forest. _And that means I never meet Mara, or the Gorons or the Zoras, or the Gerudo either,_ Link thought sadly. _And Faru never meets Mara, and Quin never meets Cariad and Shalina. I guess we'll all still be alive, and safe, but is it worth it? Is a dull, safe life really better than one of adventure? Would I really be happy living in this tiny village for the rest of my life, never seeing all the wonders of Hyrule?_ It was a difficult choice, and for the first time Link's resolve was shaken. _Do I really want to make this wish?_ he wondered.

Suddenly his vision blurred, and Link had a sense of being taken far away, both in time and space. When his vision cleared he saw that he was again standing in the magical realm Demise had created for their fight. But the Demon King was locked in battle with another green-clad figure, who Link recognised as the Hero of the Skies, his ancestor. The Hero knocked Demise onto his back and leapt up into the air, landing with his sword through Demise's chest. The Hero straightened up, holding his sword aloft, and Demise dissolved into a cloud of darkness, which was sucked into the Hero's sword. But the image froze before all the darkness was absorbed, and the cloud dissolved into golden light.

'As you wished, your ancestor defeated Demise properly, and the Demon King's residual consciousness was never sealed away in the Master Sword,' Farore said, and Link nodded.

 _At least one part of my wish seems to be going according to plan_ , he thought. His view shifted, and now he was standing in the Sealed Temple, with the huge Gate of Time in the centre. But this time it was active, glowing with strange symbols and turning as he watched. In front of the gate stood a tall, blonde woman, facing a figure Link recognised as Zelda's ancestor, the goddess Hylia in mortal form. The two were arguing about something, but their voices sounded very distant to Link's ears.

'Originally, Impa stayed in the Sealed Temple to watch over the Master Sword and ensure that Demise did not break free again,' Farore said. Link nodded to himself, deciding that the tall woman must be Impa. 'But as a result of your wish, Impa had no reason to stay and guard the sword,' the goddess continued, as the tall figure vanished into golden light. The scene changed again; Link was still standing in the Sealed Temple along with Zelda, but now in the place where Impa had been there was a much older woman, who Link realised must be the older version of Impa, at the end of her vigil.

'Before, Zelda met Impa again in her own time,' Farore said, 'but now, because of your wish, Impa was not here, so Zelda did not meet her again,' she told Link as the older Impa faded away. He felt bad for Zelda, knowing that she would have liked to meet her friend and companion a final time, but reasoned that it was for the best.

 _After all, this way she and Link don't have to worry about Demise anymore,_ he told himself. _Maybe they'll finally end up together, without the relics of Demise's power getting in the way._ His view shifted; now he was standing in the hands of the Statue of the Goddess, where the Link and Zelda of the past were talking. To his surprise, he recognised this from one of his dreams: this was the moment when Zelda decided to stay on the Surface, and Link decided to stay with her. But as Link watched, both figures vanished into golden light, which floated up to the heavens.

'With Demise truly gone, there was no threat to the Triforce, so Zelda had no reason to stay on the Surface to protect it. She returned to Skyloft, and Link along with her.' Link's eyes widened.

 _But… if they never stayed down here… then that must mean…_ His vision changed into one of Skyloft's central plaza. It was full of people, bursting with life and colour, but Link somehow felt melancholy despite all the joy.

'Without Link and Zelda to lead them, the other people of Skyloft never went down to the Surface. The civilisation that sprung up there, the civilisation that led to you and Zelda, never existed.' Link gasped.

 _Wait, does that mean Zelda and I were never born? That can't happen, surely!_ He turned around, searching for familiar faces. He saw who he was looking for: Link and Zelda stood on opposite sides of the plaza. They looked up briefly, catching each other's eye, but quickly looked away. _At least tell me that those two ended up together_ , Link silently prayed. But Farore's words dashed his hopes.

'Link and Zelda never confessed their feelings to each other. They both spent their remaining days on Skyloft, alone and miserable.' The scene faded, and Link was once more surrounded by darkness.

'Wait, no! This isn't what I want!' he yelled. Suddenly the golden figure of Farore appeared in front of him.

'You made a wish, Link,' she said gravely. 'Wishes do not give you what you want. They simply give you what you ask for. There is a difference.'

'Then I don't want to ask for this,' Link said. Farore looked him in the eye.

'When one pure of heart touches the Triforce, they get one wish. Do not waste it.' The blackness around Link faded, and he found himself standing back in the Sacred Realm. His outstretched arm was a hair's width away from the Triforce, but he let it fall.

'I don't want to wish for all of this to never have happened,' he said slowly. 'Even if that means some of the wounds will be healed, even if it means Zelda comes back to life, I can't make that wish. It isn't fair on anyone.' The three Golden Goddesses stood behind him, waiting. Link sighed, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. 'I'm sorry, Zelda,' he whispered, reaching out towards the Triforce once more. Raising his head, he made his wish.

'I wish for the land of Hyrule to be healed,' he said. 'I wish for it to prosper. And… and I wish for a long, happy future, free of fear and pain, for all those who live in it.' Farore, Nayru and Din stepped forward, raising their hands towards the Triforce. It shone with a bright golden light, blinding Link. He felt its warm glow surround him, lifting him into the air, before everything around him became dark. The last thing he heard was Farore's voice in his mind.

'Thank you, Link.'


	29. Chapter 29: Epilogue

Link opened his eyes, letting his vision adjust to the bright dawn light streaming in through the window of his treehouse. He got up from his bed, stretched, went out the door and stood for a moment outside the treehouse, looking out at Fallhollow Village. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and below him the children were playing tag. Link watched for a moment as Tam chased Lia round a tree, only to be ambushed from above by Voxa. Jorin emerged from her treehouse and called to the girls, who ignored her.

Mara trotted through the village gates on Macha, Faru following on his own horse. Link was surprised at how quickly his friend had taken to horse-riding, but he supposed that the desire to impress Mara was an excellent incentive. Link looked down as he heard laughter, and saw Quin and Cariad walking arm in arm through the village. Everything was back to normal, and the village was a place of perfect peace. Link sighed.

It had been a little over a month since he had defeated Demise, and the combined effects of the demon king's death and his own wish for peace and prosperity had returned Hyrule to its normal, tranquil state. But while everyone else celebrated, he stayed in the shadows, excluding himself from their joy. Even now, he still felt numb and hollow inside. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Zelda's face as she died. Every day, he felt the pain of losing her all over again.

'Hey, bud! Mara and I are going riding! Want to come?' Faru shouted. Ever since he had returned to the village, his friends had been trying everything to console him, to get him to start living his life again. He wished he could make them understand how pointless their efforts were.

'No thanks. Maybe some other time,' Link told Faru, his reply well-rehearsed. He said the same thing every time they asked. He climbed slowly down the ladder by his tree, wondering what he should do that day. Now he had no more temples to find, no more monsters to defeat, no more legendary relics to claim, Link's life had lost its purpose. All his energy had been directed towards defeating Demise, and now that he had done it, Link had nothing left to do.

After he had returned from the Sacred Realm, he had wandered aimlessly around Hyrule for a while before gravitating naturally back to Fallhollow Village, without quite knowing why. Now he spent his days lying in his treehouse, or walking in the forest, achieving no purpose whatsoever. While he was still on his quest, he had looked forward to the halcyon days after beating Demise. But back then, he had assumed he would be able to share those days with Zelda.

 _Well, that didn't work out, did it?_ he thought harshly. _She died to save your life. And now you're wasting it._ Link knew he should do something with the time Zelda's life had bought him, instead of spending his days mourning her loss. But logic never can triumph over the heart, and every day Link found himself grieving instead of living.

'Link, Cariad and I are going up to Hyrule Town to see her mother tomorrow,' Quin said, coming over to him. 'You should come. Charenn asks about you every time we go, and it might do you good to have a change of scene.'

'I'm fine,' he replied, sitting down with his back resting against the tree. 'You two enjoy yourselves.' The two girls shared a look, and were joined by Faru and Mara.

'Link, we're all worried about you, bud,' Faru said.

'Don't be,' Link reassured them. 'I'm fine, really. Couldn't be better.' Faru frowned at him, and Quin folded her arms. The two of them had known Link the longest, his entire life, and they knew when he was lying.

'You need to snap out of this,' Quin told him. 'You lost your friend, and I know that hurts, but as long as you stay here, thinking about what happened over and over again and never moving on, you won't get better. Please, just try to think of something else.' Link looked up at her, his cold blue eyes hardening.

'"Try to think of something else"? Quin, do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds? The girl I love, the girl I care about more than anyone else in this world, is dead because of me. How do you expect me to snap out of this?' Quin and Faru exchanged a look, and the redhead tried one last time.

'Link, I'm sure Zelda wouldn't want you to spend your life grieving for her.' There was silence.

'Zelda wouldn't want to be dead,' Link said simply.

-o-

Epona trotted along the forest trail, completely undirected by her master. Eventually Link had announced that he was going for a ride, to get away from his friends' pestering. He knew they were just trying to help, but it only made him feel worse. He stared at the ground as Epona slowed to a walk, tossing her head and whinnying. He patted her absentmindedly, not focussing on where they were going. So when Epona finally stopped and he looked at his surroundings properly, he was surprised to see how far from the village he had come.

He was at a fork in the trail, one path leading north out of Faron Woods, the other leading deeper into the forest. He suddenly remembered being here before. It was the day he set out on his adventure, when he had tried to leave Faron Woods, only to find Zelda. He shook his head, trying to get rid of the painful memories. But despite himself, he nudged Epona into a walk, following the path he had taken through the trees that day. Eventually the forest opened up into the tranquil glade where he had first met Zelda. He dismounted, and walked slowly over to the single tree in the clearing. He placed his hand against it for a moment, eyes closed, and let the memories flood back.

 _When I fought Zelda, and she beat me easily. When we beat those Bokoblins, and I finally got her to help me. When we found the village burnt to the ground, and she comforted me. When she came with me to Hyrule Castle, and stood up for me when I couldn't stand up for myself. When we explored temples together, and she had my back, always. When we kissed… and when we fought. When she told me she loved me, and I didn't say it back._ His free hand clenched into a fist as he tried to hold the tears back.

'I miss you so much,' he whispered. 'But you're gone. And all the grief in the world won't bring you back.' He stepped back from the tree, then reached behind him and drew his sword. He looked at it for a moment, the silver blade shining in the sun. He didn't need it anymore, but something had stopped him from returning it to its pedestal in the Sealed Temple. Maybe because he knew he would always associate that place with Zelda.

He took a deep breath, then drove the blade into the ground by the tree. As he straightened up, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He was leaving his old life, the life of adventure and danger, the life of a Hero, behind. He had to move on, he knew that. And moving on started with relinquishing the Master Sword. He turned to leave, but stopped dead when he heard a silvery noise behind him. He turned, and gasped.

A blue figure floated above the Master Sword.

-o-

Link stared at the figure, open-mouthed. She looked female, but definitely not Hylian. As Link looked at her, something stirred in his memory.

'…I know you,' he said at last. 'You were in my dream. You met my ancestor. You're the spirit of the Master Sword, aren't you? You're… Fi.' The figure inclined her head.

'Master Link. It is good to see you after all these years.' Link was speechless, and Fi realised that her master was confused by her reappearance. 'When the Hero replaced the Master Sword in the Sealed Temple, I entered a deep sleep,' she explained. 'It was supposed to last for eternity. But while I slept, I shared the sword with the remnant of Demise's soul, and when he burst free I was awoken.'

'Oh,' Link said at last. 'Um… sorry.'

'Do not apologise, Master. If you had not awakened me, I would never have been conscious of your presence. But now you have kept the promise your ancestor made to me all those years ago. Thank you for coming back for me, Link.' Link smiled, touched by the sword spirit's words, even if he didn't entirely understand them. He guessed that the relationship between Fi and his ancestor had been a close one, and he was glad that Fi had seen her former master again, even if Link was only a descendant of the Hero of the Skies. But something still bothered him about Fi's sudden appearance.

'Fi, I don't want to sound ungrateful, but why are you here? The whole time I carried the Master Sword with me, I had no idea you were in there. So why are you speaking to me now?'

'Before, I was supressed by the remains of Demise's power. I was not strong enough to appear before you. But once you defeated the demon, I was freed.' Link frowned.

'But it's been over a month. Why didn't you appear earlier?' Fi hesitated for a moment before answering.

'I have little knowledge of what it feels like to experience emotion, Link. But through my travels with your ancestor, I was able to collect an abundance of data pertaining to others who experience it. I am incapable of feeling grief, but when I saw you after I was freed, I surmised that you were feeling this emotion strongly. I felt that it was not the right time. But when you returned the Master Sword to the earth, I knew that I would not get another chance to speak with you. That is why I appeared now.' Link looked at the ground as the sword spirit spoke. In truth, he wasn't sure if he would have wanted to meet Fi any earlier.

'Master. Link.' The Hylian looked up at the blue figure still hovering over the sword. 'Even as I speak I can feel my consciousness fading. I cannot stay for long. But before I leave, I wish to know something.'

'Ask away,' Link said, disappointed that Fi would be leaving so soon. But he supposed that if he was going to abandon the Master Sword, he wouldn't have spent time with Fi even if she had stayed.

'Master, for whom are you grieving?' Link stared, unable to utter a word. Fi waited politely, and eventually Link realised that he had to say something.

'It's… Zelda. She died, saving me from Demise.' Fi put her head on one side, confused.

'But you had the power of the Triforce, did you not? If Zelda's loss caused you such pain, why did you not wish for her rebirth?' Link felt the old wounds in his heart reopening.

 _Why didn't you?_ he asked himself. He knew why, of course. He couldn't. There was no way to bring Zelda back. But the memory was too painful. Instead of telling Fi outright, he tried to deflect the question.

'How do you know that I wished on the Triforce?'

'I am a servant of the Goddess,' Fi replied. 'My eternal sleep takes place in the realm of the gods, the Sacred Realm. My consciousness remained there while I was trapped in the sword, and it will return there once I leave you. I am aware of all that happens in that realm. I watched you and Zelda claiming parts of the Triforce, and I watched Demise claim the third piece. I saw you wish on the Triforce. So why did you wish to heal Hyrule's wounds, rather than to heal your own?' Link looked up at the sword spirit.

'I've been told I'm very similar to my ancestor. If you knew him, then you know me. Do you really think I would use that power for my own gain, instead of using it to help those who need it more than me?' Fi studied Link for a long moment.

'I believe you would choose to help others,' she said finally. 'But I also believe that you would be tempted to help yourself. I believe that you love Zelda, and you want more than anything to have her back.' Link hung his head.

'I do, Fi,' he whispered. 'I really do. I think about her every day. I've tried to move on, but I can't. I just know that nothing is ever going to be the same without her around.' Fi's face was expressionless, and Link reminded himself that she couldn't feel emotion. He took a few breaths to calm himself, before looking back at her. 'But I know there's no way to bring her back. The Triforce can't resurrect a mortal. I know that.' Fi looked puzzled.

'But if my calculations are correct, Zelda is not a mortal.' Link frowned at her.

'What do you mean?'

'The Zelda of your ancestor's time was a reincarnation of the Goddess Hylia. Although she had a mortal form, she had the soul of a goddess. And the Zelda you know is a descendant of that Zelda. Although her immortal blood has weakened over the centuries, as long as even one drop remains, Zelda is still not entirely mortal.' Link gasped, and his eyes widened. He couldn't believe what Fi was telling him.

'You mean… if Zelda isn't completely mortal… the power of the Triforce could still work on her. I could still use it to bring her back to life?' His voice rose as he spoke, hope filling his heart for the first time since Zelda's death. But Fi shook her head.

'Master, each person gets one wish, and one wish only. You have used your wish.' The hope in Link's heart turned to the crushing weight of regret.

'But… no, that can't be right! There has to be a way, what if I somehow make it back to the Sacred Realm?'

'You would not, Master Link. You used your wish for a higher purpose than fulfilling your own desires. Hyrule thanks you for it. Zelda would have wanted it to be this way.' Tears pricked at the corners of Link's eyes again.

 _You could have saved Zelda. If you were smarter, if you'd listened and paid attention, you could have saved her. But Hyrule would have suffered for it…_ He shook his head, not wanting to think about it anymore. _What's done is done,_ he told himself firmly. _You made the right decision. Like Fi said, Hyrule thanks you for doing what you did._ He tried to convince himself of the truth of this. Fi watched her former master as his emotional battle raged.

'Master?' she asked eventually. Link turned back to her. 'Do you regret the wish you made?' Link thought for a while, then shook his head slowly.

'No. The fate of Hyrule is more important than my happiness. Zelda would have understood that.' He closed his eyes for a moment. 'But just because I don't regret my wish, it doesn't mean I don't want to make another one. But I guess the world doesn't work like that.' He sighed deeply.

'You are very much like your ancestor,' Fi said, surprising Link. 'He would be proud of you.' Link smiled despite his misery.

'Thank you, Fi,' he said. 'I'm glad I got to meet you, before you return to the Sacred Realm.' Fi nodded.

'I am also glad.' The sword spirit hesitated for a moment, and seemed to be thinking. 'Link. During my eternal sleep, I ran through my memories of my time with the Hero, over and over again. They are the most treasured ones I possess. And I have long wished to thank him somehow, for giving me those memories.' Link smiled ruefully.

'I'm sure he doesn't need to be thanked.' But Fi continued.

'No. For the suffering he endured, and the suffering you have endured, I wish to make reparation.' Link frowned, wondering what this meant.

'Fi, really. You don't owe either of us anything.' Fi bowed her head.

'Master Link. If a being has a pure heart, then whoever that being is, mortal or immortal, they may make a wish and use the power of the Triforce. I must return now to the Sacred Realm. But I thank you, Link.' With these final words the sword spirit vanished back into the Master Sword. The blade glowed for a brief moment, then Fi was gone.

-o-

Under the twilight skies of the Sacred Realm, the blue figure floated towards the Triforce. The wish formed in Fi's mind as she reached out one of her wings towards it.

'I will happily use my wish for you, Link,' she said to the empty air. 'Thank you, for everything.' Then she said her wish aloud, and touched the Triforce.

A wave of golden light filled the Sacred Realm, and for the briefest of moments Fi's emotionless features twitched into a smile, before she returned to her eternal sleep.

-o-

Link stayed for a while, standing in front of the Master Sword and turning Fi's words over in his mind. Strangely, they comforted him in a way that his friends could not. He smiled to himself, but the smile faded as the dark hole inside him opened up again. He rested his hand briefly on the hilt of the Master Sword, but sighed.

 _I have to leave it_ , he told himself. _I have to move on. I can't keep reliving what happened. I have to do this._ He blinked back fresh tears as Zelda's face rose in his mind once more. _I miss you, Zelda_ , he thought sadly. _I wish you were here with me._ With a wrench, he turned away from the sword and back the way he had come. But as he took a step forward he stopped, the hairs on the back of his neck rising. Instinctively he reached for his sword, but his hand grasped empty air. But this didn't feel like an enemy approaching. Something was about to happen, Link knew it, but it didn't feel dangerous.

Suddenly a tiny pinprick of golden light appeared in the air, right in front of Link. He frowned, but it just hovered there, unmoving. As he watched, more pinpricks appeared around him, until the air was thick with golden light. He reached out tentatively to touch the first one, but before he could it suddenly flew away from him, and all the points of light focused into one shape, which grew brighter and brighter, before the light vanished in a flash.

Link blinked a few times to clear the afterimages, then blinked a few more times as he saw what the light had left behind. Standing in front of him was the golden-haired figure he knew so well, the one he had thought about every moment of every day for the last month. Zelda opened her azure eyes, looking around in confusion. She caught sight of Link, and gasped.

'…Link?' she said eventually. 'Is that… really you?' Link's face broke into a smile as he nodded, amazed.

'It's really me. Zelda, are you really here? I keep thinking that this has to be an illusion.' Zelda looked down at herself, then gently pinched her arm.

'I think I'm real. I know I am.' She looked up and met Link's eyes, and they suddenly rushed towards each other. Link held Zelda in a tight hug as they sank to their knees, each unable to believe that the other one was truly there. As they finally separated, Zelda looked down shyly.

'Link, before I- before I died, I told you something. Do you remember?' Link smiled, and kissed Zelda in response. When he broke away, he answered her.

'Yes. I love you too.'

-o-

A/N: YAAAAAAAAAY! Zelda's alive again! And they finally got together!

Also a surprise visit from Fi. I knew right from the start I wanted her in here somewhere, but I didn't know where until I wrote this.

Final chapter tomorrow!


	30. Chapter 30: A New Ending

A/N: I can't believe this is really the end. Wow, it's gone quickly. This final chapter is basically about tying up loose ends and making sure it's a happy ending all round. I do love a good happy ending.

I just want to quickly say: massive thank you to everyone who read this. Hope you enjoyed! And a really extra massive thank you to everyone who favourited and reviewed. You bring joy to my heart.

So, for the final time: on with the story! And from me, until the next time, goodbye!

-o-

'Link! Wake up!' Faru shouted, hurling a rock through the open window, straight towards Link – who caught it just before it hit.

'I'm already up!' he yelled back, emerging from his treehouse fully clothed, which surprised Faru.

'You must be really excited about today, huh?' he asked with a grin. Link grinned back and leapt onto Epona's back. As he prepared to leave, Tam ran out of her house.

'Link! Where are you going?'

'To the coronation, of course! You're going to come too, aren't you?'

'Can I?' Tam asked, looking back at Jorin.

'Of course you can! We're all going to be there! But you should get going, Link. You don't want to keep the Princess waiting!' Link grinned and urged Epona into a gallop. Soon they were speeding across the green plains of Hyrule Field, and Link leaned back, smiling up at the bright sun. Another beautiful day. He trotted down the main street of Hyrule Town, eager to reach the castle. The streets had been decorated with flowers and banners depicting the crest of the Royal Family of Hyrule, all ready for the coronation. Link leapt from Epona's back as he entered the palace gardens, and walked straight into the throne room. At the far end, a purple-haired figure waited for him.

'Link!' Hyra said. 'You're just in time. We were beginning to think you wouldn't make it.'

'I wouldn't miss this for the world,' Link said, smiling. There was a moment of awkwardness before Link cleared his throat.

'Look, Hyra… about us…' Hyra smiled, a little sadly.

'What us? Don't worry Link, I know who your heart really belongs to.'

'You don't mind?'

'Really, I don't.' Link was relieved. He knew things would never be entirely normal between him and Hyra, but at least he knew he could count her as a friend.

'And… all of this. The coronation, giving up your throne… you don't mind doing that, either?' This time Hyra smiled properly.

'Link, I can honestly tell you that I've been looking forward to this day. No more royal responsibilities, no more worrying that I'm doing everything wrong. I can't wait. When Impa first suggested that I abdicate and let the rightful heir to the throne take over, I was only too happy to accept. Besides, I know the new princess will do a much better job than I ever could. She's the princess this kingdom deserves. And I'm sure my father and brother and all my other ancestors would disapprove, but who cares what they think!' Link laughed, but thought of something.

'Hyra, when the coronation's over and you're not a princess anymore, what are you going to do?' Hyra shrugged.

'Quite honestly, I have no idea.' Link smiled, but turned quickly when one of the doors opened, revealing Impa.

'She has asked to see you,' was all the explanation Link got.

-o-

He followed Impa up the staircase to the royal chambers. The old Sheikah pushed open the door, then retreated to allow Link to be alone with the soon-to-be Princess. Zelda turned round as he entered, and smiled at him. She twirled round, showing off her dress. It was pure white and very simple, and it suited Zelda. Her hair was loose, and she wore two delicate bracelets.

'How do I look?' she asked nervously. 'Is it okay?'

'Okay doesn't even begin to cover it,' Link said with a smile. Zelda smiled back, then came over and kissed Link.

'I'm glad you came for this,' she murmured. 'I know you didn't want to.'

'Well, I thought it would be a good idea to get on the new Princess' good side,' Link said, chuckling. 'I've heard she can be pretty strict sometimes.'

'Oh really?' Zelda asked, before punching Link on the shoulder. 'And don't you forget it,' she said. Link smiled and leaned in, kissing her again. After a few moments Zelda pushed him off.

'Much though I'd like to continue, you are _not_ making me late for my own coronation!' she said firmly, but she gave Link a quick kiss on the cheek before she left.

-o-

Link stood by Zelda's side as the newly crowned Princess greeted noble after noble. As the next one approached, Link saw Zelda hid a yawn behind her hand.

'Do you think it's always going to be like this?' she muttered to Link. He just smiled, and Zelda sighed in resignation. 'There's no reason why you should have to suffer through this as well,' she said. 'Go off and enjoy the party.' He kissed the top of her head, murmuring his thanks, and wished her luck before heading off into the crowd. He caught sight of a flash of red hair, and made his way over to Quin, standing with Cariad.

'Not a bad party!' his friend said, smiling.

'Zelda looks so beautiful!' Cariad said, sighing happily. Link smiled, then realised that in all the time he had spent grieving, he had never asked Quin whether he found her mother. He asked her now, and she gestured behind him.

'See for yourself!' Shalina stood behind Link, and next to her was Charenn. The two seemed to be arguing about something, but Link couldn't hear. Mylin tried to soothe Charenn, and behind Shalina Link saw Asira trying to do the same for the Gerudo leader, but neither was having much success.

'Turns out our mothers have some differences of opinion!' Quin said grimly. 'They're both very happy for me and Cari, but they don't like each other much, and the idea of their precious little girl spending time with that awful woman is just too much to bear – for both of them!' Link laughed, moving away to find the rest of his friends. He caught sight of Faru and Mara, standing in a corner and talking shyly. Link was about to go over when someone small tugged at his hand.

'Tam, you made it!' he said happily, ruffling the small girl's hair.

'Yep! You know, this is my first ever party!' she said excitedly, making Link laugh.

'It won't be your last.'

'I hope not! Hey, have you heard about Faru and Mara?' she said, lowering her voice.

'No, what is there to hear?'

'They're in love! Of course, neither of them knows it yet… but I'm going to make sure they find out!' Tam said, beaming.

'Have fun with that,' Link said, praying to Din to give Faru strength. The man was unlucky enough in his love life without having Tam play matchmaker. But he decided that Mara was probably a good match for his friend.

'Ooh! Look at this!' Tam said, taking something out of her pocket. 'Faru made it for me! Isn't it good?' Link bent down, and saw that Tam was holding up a wooden slingshot, together with a bag of small, hard seeds. 'Now I can shoot things!' she said, bubbling with excitement.

'Yeah, _things_ not _people_ ,' Link said, knowing Tam all too well. She looked bashfully down at the ground.

'My aim isn't very good yet… but I'm getting better! Look!' she said, firing off a seed. Link had no idea what she was supposed to be aiming at, but the seed shot off into the corner and bounced of the head of Taro, who was sleeping there.

'Hgf? Wha?' the man asked drowsily, before drifting off again.

'Well done,' Link said sarcastically, and Tam stuck her tongue out at him before running off into the crowd. Link looked around again, and saw an unwelcome sight: Cariad's aunt and uncle, Astellyl and Ifud, were standing to one side. Link had no idea that they had been invited, but then remembered that the coronation was open to everyone in the kingdom. Astellyl looked thoroughly grumpy, folding her arms and glaring at everyone and everything around her. Ifud meanwhile seemed to be having the time of his life, holding a large plate of food in one hand and chatting merrily to a group of people from Fallhollow Village. Link searched around for Cariad, and found her trying to talk some sense into Charenn.

'I saw your aunt and uncle are here,' he said. Cariad nodded, sighing.

'Yes, my aunt refused to come but my uncle overruled her. It's the first time he's ever stood up for himself in his life. I'm actually quite impressed. And he dragged my aunt along too.' Charenn overheard the last part of the conversation, rolling up her sleeves.

'Link dearie, did I hear you say that my old hag of a sister is here?' Link nodded, and Charenn turned to Shalina. 'My sister's the one I told you about. The one who tried to bully my poor Cariad into marrying some _man_.' Shalina's eyebrows rose, and she nodded grimly, following Charenn off into the crowd. Link almost felt sorry for Astellyl. She might have been able to oppress Cariad, but she wouldn't have much luck with the other two women. Link wandered off into the crowd again, catching sight of Hyra and Impa talking quietly in the corner.

'Everything alright?' he asked, going over. Hyra looked at Impa, then turned to Link.

'I think I'm going to leave now, while everyone's busy,' she said. 'I don't want to cause a fuss, and to be honest, I'll be glad to get away.' Link frowned.

'Where are you going?'

'I'm not sure yet. Somewhere beyond Hyrule. Now that I'm finally free of my royal duties, I want to explore the world, go to all the places I've read about but never seen. I don't know how long I'll be gone, or if I'll even come back at all, but I'm certain this is what I want to do.' Link saw a new resolve in her soft brown eyes, and smiled.

'I wish you the best of luck.' He turned to Impa. 'Are you going too?'

'No, I think I will stay,' she replied. 'I shall guide the new ruler – or rulers.' She winked at Link, shocking him. He hadn't thought the old Sheikah capable of such behaviour. Changing the subject quickly, he bid farewell to Hyra before going back into the crowd. He made it out of the busy throne room and into the castle courtyard, which was just as packed.

 _Looks like the entire kingdom really did come_ , he thought to himself. He saw the hulking shape of a Goron to one side, and went over. It took Darion a few minutes to even notice that Link was trying to get his attention, but when he finally saw the Hylian he was overjoyed, attempting to give him a Goron hug. Link ducked out of the way just in time, giving Darion a thumbs up before escaping. Suddenly someone ran into him from behind, and turning he saw Tam again.

'Sorry! I was just playing tag, and- eek!' She hid behind Link as her pursuer caught up with her.

'Oh! Link, it's you!' Latiro said, and for a moment Link was too shocked to speak.

'Er… yeah. What are you doing here? And why are you playing tag with this rascal?' he said, pulling Tam out from behind him.

'As the new King of the Zoras, I'm expected to come,' Lati said importantly. In a much more normal voice, he said, 'And I'm playing tag with Tam because this party is unbelievably boring! It's all grown-ups!' Link laughed, but as Tam ran off again he stopped the Zora, remembering something.

'Lati, I wanted to warn you. You remember Branford, the soldier? Well, he's somewhere in Hyrule right now. The Gorons are pretty much invulnerable, but your people might be in danger.' Link hated to bring up such a solemn subject on this happy day, and especially considering the bad memories Lati had of the soldier, but he knew he had to warn the boy. But to his surprise, Lati shrugged off Link's concern.

'Oh, he already came to Zora's Domain. You don't have to worry about him anymore.' Link frowned.

'What did you do to him?'

'Nothing! Well, not really. He was pretty exhausted by the time he reached the desert. Whatever he was running from must have really scared him,' Lati said with a knowing grin. 'But when he saw me, he followed me. I'm not sure what he was planning, but I pretended not to know he was there. I led him down to the Desert Sea. It was a moonless night, and legend says that if you look into the Sea on a night like that you'll see the souls of the dead Zoras who swim there. I don't know if it's true or not. Personally I've never seen anything other than clear water there, and believe me, I've looked.

But Branford must have seen something which rattled him, because he took off running and didn't look back. He headed off into the desert. I don't know if he'll survive out there, but if he's smart he'll find an oasis or the river. After that, I doubt he'll go back to Hyrule. It's hard to find your way out of the desert, and anyway, I don't think he'll want to face you. Maybe he'll wander the desert forever, or maybe he'll stumble upon the Gerudo. Either way, he's no threat to anyone anymore.'

Link sighed in relief, thanking Lati and watching as the boy ran off after Tam. He saw them taking turns with Tam's slingshot, and more than one unsuspecting guest was struck by the seeds. A huge shadow fell across Link, and he looked up, laughing as he saw the Water Dragon Faron leaning over him. He saw Eldin and Lanayru too, although the three dragons had to keep their distance to avoid crushing the party guests.

'I see you were invited too!' he called up.

'Dragons are never invited,' Lanayru said, reaching down to a bowl of food specially provided for the dragons. He grabbed a fruit bigger than Link's head, tossed it into the air, and swallowed it in one gulp. 'We just turn up.' Link laughed as he watched Eldin blowing smoke rings, delighting the children. Faron looked on disapprovingly, but Link knew she was enjoying herself nonetheless. For Link, the sight of the dragons was the final proof that everything was really back to normal. But catching sight of Tam running off into the crowd again, he remembered something, and called up to Faron.

'Did you have something to do with Tam's resurrection?' he asked. The dragon nodded.

'Yes. When you brought her body to me, I knew that, since she was a forest sprite, there was a chance I could use my magic to bring her back to life. But only a chance. That is why I didn't tell you what I was planning; I didn't want to raise your hopes in case I failed.' Link smiled, glad to have been right. But then another thought occurred to him.

'Zelda's friends were forest sprites. Why didn't you resurrect them?' Faron sighed.

'When I found out what had happened, Casineb immediately cursed me. I was unable to use my magic to revive Zelda's friends. And by the time you freed me, it had been too long. Their spirits had faded.' Link nodded, then remembered something else.

'Why did that green star appear?' he asked.

'My magic caused Tam's spirit to become that star, until I could properly return her to the world of the living,' Faron replied. Link thought of the shining star above the world, happy that even in death his friend had never truly been gone, and happy that he had finally solved the mystery of her resurrection. He laughed slightly as he saw Tam chasing Lati. The girl was certainly making up for lost time. Smiling, he went back into the throne room and made his way to Zelda.

'How are you holding up?' he asked sympathetically.

'Link, I am trying my best, but if I don't get out of here soon I'm going to punch someone,' Zelda replied. Link smiled.

 _People never change_ , he thought.

'Is there anything you can do?' she asked him. Link grinned at her.

'Zelda, you know I have the greatest faith in you and your abilities as ruler of Hyrule. But you didn't really think I'd expect you to sit through all of this, did you? Meet me by the castle gates in five minutes.' Zelda beamed at him, then went back to greeting the interminable stream of nobles. Five minutes later, Link waited just out of sight of the crowds as Zelda hurried towards him.

'Finally! I thought I was going to suffocate in there,' she said. 'So what's this amazing plan of yours?' Link reached behind him and grabbed the reins of Epona and Rhiannon.

'Your escape plan awaits, Your Majesty,' he said, mock-bowing. Zelda smiled, then – to Link's shock – began to pull her dress off. 'Um, Zelda, what are you-' he said, before sighing in relief as Zelda removed her dress entirely, revealing that she was wearing her normal clothes underneath.

'I've said it before, and I'll say it again,' she said, climbing up onto Rhiannon's back. 'You can't run in a skirt. You can't fight in a skirt. You can't do anything in a skirt!' Link laughed as they led their horses down the main street of Hyrule Town, which was deserted. Everyone was at the party. As they got out of the town and broke into a gallop, Link smiled contentedly.

Soon, he knew, people would notice that he and Zelda were missing. People would search for them, and the people who knew the pair best would shake their heads and smile knowingly. Tomorrow, when they returned, there would be questions, duties, problems to be solved. But today, there was only the clear blue sky and the wide open plain of Hyrule. Link and Zelda raced each over across the fields, laughing and smiling. As the sun dipped lower in the sky, they disappeared over the horizon, blissfully content.

And the rest, as they say, is history.


End file.
